Health benefits of the Mediterranean diet continue to gain credence
with yet another study showing a diet rich in fruit, vegetables and
olive oil could reduce the risk of heart disease.
Research into walnuts, a key ingredient used in a range of cake
products will help lift stagnant sales for food makers in the
sector giving them an opportunity to cash in on the growing
functional food market, reports Lindsey Partos.
An extract of the hibiscus flower may have the same health benefits
as red wine and tea according to scientists in Taiwan, who have
found the plant to lower cholesterol in rats.
A compound identified in blueberries could be the next key health
ingredient in food formulations as researchers find it can
effectively lower cholesterol.
The benefits of conventionally grown produce over organic foods was
the focus of a recent debate between food technologists with
scientists warning it is too early to reach conclusions, despite
new research that suggests some organic...
Antioxidants found in oats can significantly reduce blood
cholesterol levels by suppressing the adhesive molecules which make
blood cells stick to artery walls, report scientists from the US
this week - evidence of the cholesterol-busting...
Small daily doses of flavonoid-rich dark chocolate eaten over a
two-week period significantly improved blood vessel function,
report US researchers this week, without increasing blood
cholesterol levels.
A naturally occurring compound in broccoli, already shown to fight
cancer in cells, may also be able to reduce risk of high blood
pressure, cardiovascular disease and stroke, according to a new
animal study.
Soy protein appears to lower risk of heart disease by increasing
the size of LDL cholesterol particles and reducing dangerous
cholesterol, shows a new study that further examines the mechanism
behind soy's benefits to heart health.
Men at high risk of heart disease could consider adding soy protein
to their diets to reduce their chances of developing the disease,
the world's biggest killer, report researchers.
A polyphenol extract made from selected red grapes from the south
of France has been shown to signficantly reduce lipid deposits in
arteries, and produced a greater effect than red wine, reports its
manufacturer.
Intitiatives by the food industry and governments to bring the
five-a-day phenomenon to the consumer gained further credence this
week with a new study showing fruit and vegetable consumption can
cut 'bad?cholesterol.
Soy isoflavones may not offer the benefits to heart health often
attributed to soyfoods, finds a new study that suggests that
another part of the plant could be responsible for its
cholesterol-lowering ability.
Regular alcohol intake, thought to reduce the risk of
cardiovascular disease, is associated with lower prevalence of
metabolic syndrome, reported Greek researchers at the European
Society of Cardiology meeting earlier this week.
Research continues into the potential benefits that oats and barley
could have on our health with new findings from the US suggesting
that diets high in barley could lower total cholesterol levels, and
could be of particular benefit...
Results from research carried out at the University of California
reinforce the recent revelations concerning chocolate's potential
cardiovascular benefits.
Good news for post-Christmas bingeing blues - a new study reveals
that moderate beer drinking could lower heart attack risk.
According to a group of Israeli researchers, a beer a day may help
keep heart attacks away.
Research on a regular basis appears to endorse the benefits of the
much-acclaimed Mediterranean-style diet. A recent study suggests
that taking a leaf out of the Mediterranean people's book could
help reduce cardiovascular disease...
A group of European scientists meeting recently to review and
discuss current knowledge on vitamin E and promising lines of
future research concluded that the vitamin has been underestimated
in the past. They urged further research...
Despite its early promise, taking vitamin E does not appear to slow
the progression of atherosclerosis in healthy people, according to
researchers in the United States.
More evidence to suggest that nuts are beneficial to our hearts
arrived this week when scientists in Canada published the findings
of a new study. According to their work, in order to maintain a
healthy heart we should incorporate...
Scientists have moved one step closer to understanding the 'French
Paradox'. A recent study carried out in France claims to have found
differences in the 'good cholesterol' of red wine drinkers which
could account...
French people include in their diets as much animal fat as people
in many other countries, they do not smoke less and their level of
blood cholesterol is not lower. Despite all this heart disease is
low. So what's the secret?...
Taking vitamins to combat the effects of heart disease or cancer
could be a waste of time, claim researchers from Oxford
University's Clinical Trial Service.
Researchers in the US suggest that arterial inflammation, provoked
by high fat diets, could be considerably reduced through the
consumption of antioxidant vitamins E and C. Arterial inflammation
can predispose a person to atherosclerosis.
Research from the University of Illinois in the US has found that
honey's antioxidant qualities can help preserve meat without
compromising taste, at the same time as slowing the oxidation of
low-density lipoproteins (LDL), a...
Calcium supplements could help postmenopausal women combat
osteoporosis, report researchers from New Zealand in a recent issue
of The American Journal of Medicine.
A glass or two of orange juice daily could do wonders for our blood
pressure, according to a pilot study conducted at the Cleveland
Clinic in the United States. The JUICE (Juice Utilisation Improves
Cardiovascular Endpoints) study...
Women who take oestrogen may decrease their risk of developing
atherosclerosis - the progressive narrowing and hardening of the
arteries - according to new research published in the March issue
of The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology...
A recent study confirms the evidence that moderate alcohol is
beneficial. American scientists have found that the risk of heart
disease in older women may in fact be reduced by alcohol.
A combination of the antioxidant Vitamin E and a cox inhibitor such
as aspirin significantly delays the development of atherosclerosis
in mice even when their cholesterol levels remain high, new
evidence suggests.
According to researchers, supplementing the diet with antioxidant
vitamins and minerals appears to blunt the beneficial effects of
certain cholesterol-lowering drugs.
An apple juice a day could keep a trip to the heart doctor away,
says new research. A team of researchers at UC Davis School of
Medicine in the US have...
Confectionery producer Mars Inc., keen to promote the possible
health benefits of flavonoids, has introduced theCocoapro logo on
confectionery packaging...
Beer, our ertswhile companion, apparently contains powerful
anti-oxidants thatmay reduce the risk of cataracts and heart
disease, according to two newstudies....
Low levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol may be
linked with hearing loss in men, researchers from Iwate Medical
University, Japan suggested...
Women who eat lots of whole-grain foods can significantly reduce
their risk of strokes, according to a recent study. Researchers at
Harvard University...