With 71 million Americans suffering with one or more types of cardiovascular disease (CVD), according to the American Heart Association (AHA), more shoppers are looking for science-backed natural ingredients.
One supplement that fortunately has a lot of science behind it is coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), which is produced by the body and is necessary for the basic functioning of cells. It has been shown to reduce blood pressure, possibly by decreasing oxidative stress, and insulin response in patients with known hypertension receiving conventional antihypertensive drugs,1 and improve blood pressure in patients with type 2 diabetes.2 In addition to lowering blood pressure, CoQ10 significantly reduced hospitalization for worsening of heart failure in patients with congestive heart failure;3 and in another study, it reduced the incidence of palpitations and arrhythmia.4 CoQ10 taken before heart surgery helped preserve the cardiac muscle.5 In addition, CoQ10 supplementation helps replenish healthy blood levels of CoQ10, which may be depleted by statin drugs, used to lower cholesterol.6
Another heart-healthy ingredient with a lot of science-based evidence is plant sterols. The substantiation during the past 50 years that has shown plant sterols can reduce low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol convinced FDA to authorize a health claim about plant sterols and heart health. In 2000, the agency OK’d the claim, “Foods containing at least 0.65 grams per serving of plant sterol esters, eaten twice a day with meals for a daily total intake of at least 1.3 grams, as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol, may reduce the risk of heart disease.”
With an estimated 101 million American adults with borderline-high or higher cholesterol levels, according to AHA, and recognition from FDA, plant sterol knowledge is up. Awareness that plant sterols reduce the risk of heart disease increased to 45 percent in 2009, from 30 percent in 2007, according to the International Food Information Council’s (IFIC) Functional Foods/Foods for Health consumer survey, released in August 2009.
Plant sterols, also called phytosterols, are found in all plants, with vegetables, seeds and nuts providing rich sources. They are fat-like plant compounds with chemical structures similar to cholesterol. Plant sterols compete with cholesterol in the body, so when a person digests more plant sterols, he absorbs less cholesterol. Studies have shown orange juice fortified with plant sterols reduce LDL cholesterol,7 they are safe to use over a long period of time,8 supplementation with them lowers LDL cholesterol in people with an increased risk for coronary heart disease,9 and margarine containing plant sterols was shown to be effective in reducing serum cholesterol.10 One study showed the cholesterol-lowering effects of plant sterols may differ according to the type of food matrix.11 Plant sterols in low-fat milk was almost three times more effective than in bread and cereals. And, in addition to their cholesterol-lowering properties, plant sterols possess anti-cancer, anti-atherogenicity and antioxidant activities.12
Erin Silva, MS, RD, technical marketing manager, Vitamer Labs, noted its Cholesterol Complex, which contains Corowise, sold well during the past year. “Plant sterols are becoming more recognized by the consumer since Corowise and other plant sterol ingredients are making their way into functional foods as well as dietary supplements,” she said.
While the IFIC survey showed most Americans know omega-3s benefit the brain, Silva said American consumers could improve their heart health by adding omega-3 essential fatty acids (EFAs) to their diets. “Generally speaking, most people would benefit from taking fish oil given the typical American diet that is low in ‘good’ fats like omega-3s, regardless if they have been diagnosed with heart disease or not,” she said. Indeed, the AHA recommends intakes of a combination eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) ranging from 0.5 to 1.8 g/d (either as fatty fish or supplements) to reduce the risk of heart disease. Studies have shown eating fish two times per week can reduce coronary heart disease,13 and a meta-analysis of 11 trials, published between 1966 and 1999, suggested intake of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids reduced overall mortality, mortality due to myocardial infarction and sudden death in patients with coronary heart disease.14 Fish oil lowered serum triglyceride concentrations by 19 percent in one study from Norway,15 and lowered triglycerides while raising LDL cholesterol in an American study.16
Fish oil isn’t the only way to get EFAs. Core Naturals offers Salba, a seed that comes from a variety of a mint plant called Salvia hispanica L. Brian Keyes, Director of Marketing at Core Naturals, said, “Salba seed oil is the most potent vegetarian source of omega-3 fatty acids. A single tablespoon serving has 8,373 mg of omega-3s, with about 30 percent higher alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) content than flaxseed.” Salba may also offer heart health benefits. Twelve weeks of dietary supplementation with Salba reduced systolic blood pressure, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (associated CVD and other processes involving inflammation) and von Willebrand factor (a blood glycoprotein involved in hemostasis), while maintaining good glycemic and lipid control in people with type 2 diabetes.17 Keyes added Core Naturals has started preliminary research to determine Salba’s effects on cholesterol levels.
Part of Americans’ heart issues may stem from a lack of omega-3s in their diets said Gene Bruno, MS, MHS, consultant to Jarrow Formulas and dean of academics at Huntington College of Health Sciences. “Human beings evolved on a diet with approximately a 1:1 ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 EFAs, whereas in Western diets the ratio is 15:1 to 16.7:1,” he said. “Western diets are deficient in omega-3 fatty acids, and have excessive amounts of omega-6 fatty acids compared with the diet on which human beings evolved and their genetic patterns were established.”
To be Continued...
source
No comments:
Post a Comment