Soy protein lowers cholesterol

As the food authority is planning to remove soy from list of heart-healthy food, researchers through a study evaluated and determined soy protein has the ability to lower cholesterol by a small but significant amount.

According to the study, forty-one trials examined the protein’s effects on low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, which is often referred to as the “bad cholesterol” because a high amount of it leads to a build-up of cholesterol in arteries.

All 43 studies provided data about “total cholesterol,” which reflects the overall amount of cholesterol in the blood.

Researchers found that soy protein reduced LDL cholesterol by three to four per cent in adults, a small but significant amount, noted the lead author of the study.

“When one adds the displacement of high saturated fat and cholesterol-rich meats to a diet that includes soy, the reduction of cholesterol could be greater. The existing data and our analysis of it suggest soy protein contributes to heart health,” the Dr. said.

"We hope the public will continue to consider plant-based diets as a healthy option,” the lead author added.

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Whey-based beverage can improve your health

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 Adding calcium, Vitamin D and pre-biotic dietary fibre to a beverage made of whey can have huge health benefits for those who drink it, a team of Lithuanian scientists has revealed.

The scientists created -- and tested -- two different versions of whey-based beverages. Both the drinks had Vitamin D and pre-biotic dietary fibre added -- one was enriched with calcium phosphate and other with calcium lactate.fibre added -- one was enriched with calcium phosphate and other with calcium lactate.

The aim of the study was to determine how much their chosen health-giving additives would affect the "physiochemical and sensorya" qualities of the drinks, as well as what effects drinking them would have on the health of volunteers.

"Sometimes consumers agree to compromise sensory attributes for other perceived benefits, such as nutritional value or country of origin of the products. However, if the sensory attributes of the product do not meet consumers' expectations, it is unlikely that such product will be used again," the researchers said.

There was no appreciable difference in the visual appeal of the two formulas and the one made with calcium phosphate did not taste as nice after periods of storage.

With taste being so important, only the formulation with calcium lactate was put to 30 volunteers against a control drink for further testing.

After 21 days of drinking the beverage, the volunteers' blood analysis showed a significant decrease in LDL (bad) cholesterol and triglyceride concentrations -- changes which would be likely to have a beneficial impact on their lives.

"Nowadays, consumers can find very different functional products with the same ingredients and the same effect on health, so sensory properties of products should meet consumers' expectations in order to encourage consumers to include the product in their diet," the researchers concluded.

This open access study gives a fascinating insight into the design and production of today's "functional beverages". It also shows clearly the simple steps -- like choosing a certain drink -- we can take to improve our health.


The study was published in CyTA -- Journal of Food.

Eating walnuts may lower heart disease risk

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 Consuming about 60 grams of tree nuts, such as walnuts, daily may lower the risk of cardiovascular disease, a new study has claimed.

After conducting a systematic review and meta-analysis of 61 controlled trials, Michael Falk from Life Sciences Research Organisation in US, found that consuming tree nuts lowers total cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL (bad) cholesterol, and ApoB, the primary protein found in LDL cholesterol.

These are key factors that are used to evaluate a person's risk of cardiovascular disease. Walnuts were investigated in 21 of the 61 trials, more than any other nut reviewed in this study, researchers said.

"Our study results further support the growing body of research that tree nuts, such as walnuts, can reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases," said Falk.

"Tree nuts contain important nutrients such as unsaturated fats, protein, vitamins and minerals. Walnuts are the only nut that provide a significant amount (2.5 grams per one ounce serving) of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), the plant-based form of omega-3s," Falk said.

Beyond finding that tree nuts lower total cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL cholesterol and ApoB, researchers also found that consuming at least two servings (two ounces or 57 grammes) per day of tree nuts, such as walnuts, has stronger effects on total cholesterol and LDL.

Additionally, results showed that tree nut consumption may be particularly important for lowering the risk of heart disease in individuals with type 2 diabetes.

Of 1,301 articles surveyed, 61 trials met eligibility criteria for this systematic review and meta-analysis, totalling 2,582 unique participants.

Trials directly provided nuts to the intervention group rather than relying solely on dietary advice to consume nuts.

The dose of nuts varied from 5 to 100g/day and most participants followed their typical diet.

More than two decades of research has shown that walnuts may help lower cardiovascular risk factors by decreasing LDL (bad) cholesterol by 9-16 per cent and diastolic blood pressure by 2-3 mmHg, as well as reducing total cholesterol, raising HDL cholesterol, reducing inflammation as measured by C-reactive protein, and improving arterial function.

These factors are major contributors to heart disease risk, and reducing them is a critical step towards a healthier heart, researchers said.

In addition to providing omega-3s, walnuts also deliver a convenient source of fibre (2 grams per ounce) and protein (4 grams per ounce).

Protein linked to heart attack identified

A protein that increases levels of LDL (low-density lipoprotein) cholesterol, also referred to as "bad" cholesterol, in the bloodstream is associated with heart attacks, says a study.

Levels of the protein PCSK9 were elevated in the blood of patients having an acute heart attack, but not in those who never had a heart attack or who had recovered from one previously, the findings showed.

The results were replicated in two separate groups of patients, all of whom have coronary artery disease but were not taking a cholesterol-lowering statin drug.

But researchers do not yet know whether the elevated levels of PCSK9 triggers heart attack or its consequences.

"The findings point to an important question: "Are PCSK9 levels elevated shortly before you get a heart attack?" asked lead researcher Alexandre Stewart, principal investigator from the Ruddy Canadian Cardiovascular Genetics Centre at the Ottawa Heart Institute.

"If levels only go up after, that would suggest a side effect of the heart attack. But if they go up before, that suggests it might trigger the event, or make it worse," Stewart added.

The researchers first identified the PCSK9 link to heart attacks using blood samples from patients enrolled in the Ottawa heart genomics study in Canada.

They then confirmed these results with a group of patients from the Emory University in Atlanta, US.

PCSK9 increases levels of LDL cholesterol in the bloodstream by reducing the ability of liver cells to remove and destroy it.

Research indicates that blocking the functions of PCSK9 may offer a new way to substantially lower LDL cholesterol.

The study appeared in the journal PLOS One.

 

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Avocado diet cuts heart risk in obese

Researchers are exploring the potential effects of Hass avocado consumption on emerging cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors.

The research was based on a clinical study that investigated whether eating one Hass avocado every day as part of a moderate fat diet (34 percent fat) had a beneficial effect on risk factors for CVD among healthy overweight and obese subjects, compared to a similar moderate fat diet without avocados, and a lower fat diet.

The researchers, Li Wang, PhD Candidate, Pennsylvania State University, and primary investigator, Penny Kris Etherton, PhD, RD, found that relative to baseline, although all three diets lowered LDL cholesterol (LDL-C), only the avocado diet significantly decreased low density lipoprotein particle number (LDL-P); there was no significant change in LDL-P with the moderate fat diet without avocado or the low fat diet.

Researchers also observed that the avocado diet significantly lowered small, dense LDL cholesterol (a more atherogenic subclass of LDL) and oxidized LDL (atherogenic modified LDL particle). The study was supported by the Hass Avocado Board (HAB) and was also nominated as one of five finalists for the Clinical Emerging Leader Award Competition.

"As new research is published on CVD risk factors, we're learning that it may not simply be the level of LDL cholesterol that matters, but rather the particle number, size, density and especially oxidative modification of the LDL particles," said Penny Kris-Etherton, Distinguished Professor of Nutrition at the Pennsylvania State University. "Research is beginning to show that small, dense LDL particles, in particular, may be more likely to be oxidized and form plaques in the arteries compared to large, buoyant LDL particles."

Wang said that their findings show that there is something unique about the avocado beyond its MUFA content that helped to specifically decrease small, dense LDL in healthy overweight and obese adults.

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