Berries such as strawberries are a good source of anthocyanins which have been shown to reduce oxidative stress and inflammation.
Clinical trials have also shown that strawberry puree can incease HDL, the heart protective cholesterol.
In addition, strawberries have been shown to decrease blood pressure.
An 8 week clinical trial tested the hypothesis that freeze dried strawberry supplementation could improve markers of metabolic syndrome and atherosclerosis.
The results were published in the journal Nutrition Research.
Here are the study details:
– Study Design: randomized controlled clinical trial
– 30 human subjects with metabolic syndrome were enrolled
– Particpants received either 1) control (4 cups of water a day) or 2) strawberry (2 cups strawberry beverage + 2 cups of water a day) group for 8 weeks.
– Total anthocyanis in the strawberry powder was 154 mg.
Here are the main results
– Strawberry powder decreased total cholesterol from 224 to 201 mg/dl
– Strawberry powder decreased LDL cholesterol from 135 to 119 mg/dl
– Strawberry supplementation further decreased circulating levels of vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 vs controls at 8 weeks (272.7 ± 17.4 to 223.0 ± 14.0 ng/mL
– Serum glucose, triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, blood pressure, and waist circumference were not affected.
Here are some comments by the authors
Thus, our study findings support the working hypothesis that freeze-dried strawberry supplementation decreases selected atherosclerotic risk factors, such as total and LDL cholesterol, small LDL particle concentrations, and circulating sVCAM-1 associated with metabolic syndrome.
Take away message:
In summary, this short-term study shows the heart protective benefits of freeze-dried strawberries associated with metabolic syndrome and CVD. Therefore, this study provides some evidence for strawberries as a preventive measure in metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular disease.
Reference:
Nutrition Research. 2010; Volume 30 (Issue 7): Pages 462-9.
His research on plant medicine has led to more than 45 publications and abstracts.This research has been presented at international meetings in the USA, France, Turkey, Peru, Israel, Austria, and Italy.
Categories: Plant Medicine
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