Cranberry juice raises HDL 10%
This is news to me, just posting it up in case no one knew.
Taken from:
http://www.defeatdiabetes.org/Articl...erol030407.htm
"Cranberry Juice Raises HDL Cholesterol Levels
posted 04/07/03
Free radical damage is decreased after one serving a day and overcomes the oxidant stress of fructose.
Investigators at the University of Scranton, Pennsylvania, are reporting that cranberry juice contains more phenol antioxidants than 20 commonly consumed fruit juices and that consumption can significantly raise HDL cholesterol levels in hypercholesterolemic patients.
At the 225th annual meeting of the American Chemical Society, underway this week in New Orleans, Dr. Joe A. Vinson told attendees that he and his colleagues measured the effects of cranberry juice consumption in 20 subjects with untreated hypercholesterolemia.
Following a fasting period, half the subjects worked their way up to 3 servings of cranberry juice with an artificial sweetener added daily, while the other half consumed cranberry juice plus sugar for 1 month. Each serving consisted of 8 oz. of cranberry juice containing about 27% pure juice, comparable to what is commonly sold in most supermarkets.
There was no effect on total cholesterol after the study period, but LDL levels dropped somewhat with 2 servings of cranberry juice per day and HDL cholesterol levels increased significantly with 3 servings per day, Dr. Vinson told Reuters Health. Triglyceride levels increased significantly in the group that consumed 3 servings of cranberry juice plus sugar daily, but did not change in the group that consumed cranberry juice with the artificial sweetener.
"The increase of about 10% in HDL levels that we found translates into a 40% decrease in heart disease risk according to Framingham data," he asserts.
Dr. Vinson notes that subjects lost about 2 pounds during the study period, which approached statistical significance. "It didn't matter if [the drink] contained sugar or not," he commented. "We think the weight loss is because of the polyphenols...that affect metabolism," he explains.
"Free radical damage is decreased after one serving a day," Dr. Vinson said. "Cranberry juice overcomes the oxidant stress of fructose."
Source: Diabetes In Control Dot Com."
I'm off to buy some cranberry juice
