Scientists Discover Effective Natural Way to Reduce Cholesterol and Weight Gain

According to statistics published by the American Heart Association, about 80 million Americans suffer from a type of cardiovascular disease. This includes 21 million Americans (about 7% of the population) with coronary heart disease and/or heart failure.

The American Diabetes Association reports almost 21 million Americans suffer from a type of diabetes and the number is on the rise. Body fat build-up and weight gain are major culprits in the development of heart and cardiovascular disease as well as diabetes.

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention published a statistic indicating that the prevalence of obesity in the population has more than doubled since the 1970s. About a third of the adult population is now considered obese. Consequently, the medical community has increased efforts to reduce obesity. They stress healthy nutrition, lifestyle changes, and exercise.

If all else fails, they resort to medication to keep cholesterol and triglyceride levels in check in an attempt to prevent or treat the development of cardiovascular disease and diabetes. However, a new effort is being made to find natural ways to treat patients. Scientists at Barts and The London School of Medicine have found beetroot juice to be effective in reducing blood pressure, another potential side effect of obesity and precursor to cardiovascular disease (AC reported).

Now scientists at the University of Michigan Health System have discovered that tart cherries can lower body fat build-up, weight gain, cholesterol, inflammation, and triglycerides. This discovery could revolutionize body weight management, as well as cardiovascular disease and diabetes treatments. They presented their study last Sunday at the Experimental Biology 2008 meeting in San Diego, CA

Almost a third of the American population is considered obese and there are indications that the number will increase. Consequently, the number of Americans suffering from a form of cardiovascular disease and/or diabetes is on the rise as well. The medical community is striving to curb obesity. Nowadays, obesity education and the importance of proper nutrition and exercise are already taught in pre-school.

The message is reinforced through all grade levels. Even new parents receive information from their baby's pediatrician about proper baby and toddler food items and exercises. Still, more people will undoubtedly be diagnosed with cardiovascular disease and/or diabetes. Therefore, scientists have made it a priority to find new ways to treat or even prevent the disease, even experimenting with novel approaches.

If lifestyle changes (no alcohol and cigarettes), exercise, and healthy diet, don't yield results, physicians usually turn to drugs to treat the condition. This often leaves patients with a life-time regimen of medications. Yet, the long-term impact of any drug regimen has yet to be thoroughly analyzed and side effects can sometimes be severe or lead to other conditions. Furthermore, a regular drug regimen can be costly and something especially the elderly cannot always afford.

Therefore, many scientists have been looking for natural alternatives and try to find 'new' healing methods by studying ancient healing methods and herbs. Such treatment methods are usually cheaper but as effective.

For example, in the area of cardiovascular disease treatment, scientists at Barts and The London School of Medicine under the lead of Professor Amrita Ahluwalia have found beetroot juice to be effective in the significant reduction in high blood pressure in their study participants (AC reported). Beetroot juice is high in nitrate, as are green, leafy vegetables. This compound causes blood pressure reduction. Although further studies are needed the results could offer an effective and cheaper alternative to blood pressure lowering medications. A diet high in nitrate-rich vegetables and a drinking the beetroot juice may just be all a patient needs to achieve and maintain a healthy cardiovascular system.

Now scientists at the University of Michigan Health System have discovered that tart cherries can lower body fat build-up, weight gain, cholesterol, inflammation, and triglycerides. This discovery could revolutionize body weight management, as well as cardiovascular disease and diabetes treatments.

For the purpose of their study, the scientists fed lab rats with a diet of high fat mixed with whole tart cherry powder. They observed that the rats gained less weight and showed a lower level of body fat build-up, especially in the belly area, than the control group. Furthermore, blood tests also showed significantly lower levels of cholesterol and triglycerides as well as lower levels of those molecules considered to be indicators of inflammation linked to heart disease and diabetes.

The scientists believe the high concentration of anthocyanins, an antioxidant, in tart cherries might be the cause of the improvements. Anthocyanins cause the color of dark pigmented fruits such as tart cherries.

Plans are underway for a study on humans, with a pilot phase later this spring. The scientists indicated that humans would have to eat 1.5 cups of tart cherries per day, if they wanted to reach the level of cherries consumed by the lab rats. Tart cherries are usually sold dried, frozen, or in juice. The tart cherries used in this study were Montmorency tart cherries, which are grown in Michigan.