Olive oil, nuts better than drugs for heart disease

Early results from a Spanish cohort study featuring 7500 people with heart disease risk have found Mediterranean diets high in virgin olive oil (VOO) and nuts are more effective in reducing heart disease event likelihood than drug treatments.

Unlike refined oils, fresh-pressed EVOO is loaded with high levels of polyphenols (antioxidants) and anti-inflammatory compounds that:
 

• Protect Your Heart: Dramatically reduces inflammation and lowers "bad" cholesterol.
• Boost Brain Health: May help protect against dementia and cognitive decline.
• Act Like Natural Medicine: Contains oleocanthal, which provides anti-inflammatory benefits similar to ibuprofen.

The team of Spanish researchers published initial findings in the trial that is due to complete next year in
Atherosclerosis, reporting significant improvements in groups eating traditional Mediterranean diets plus VOO or nuts, compared to those on a low-fat diet.

Among the over-55s artery thickness was lower in the VOO and nut groups but only among those who already had somewhat thickened arteries.

One of the researchers, Dr Miguel Angel Martínez-González, from the Department of Preventative Medicine at the University of Navarra, said the findings emphasised the value of dietary versus pharma interventions in
controlling cardiovascular event likelihood.

They showed that, “a modification in the entire diet pattern managed to achieve, in just one year, results that
pharmaceutical drugs did not – even after two years of treatment.”

However, “This improvement was not observed amongst those who did not have thickening of the artery wall at the start of the study.”

The study places each volunteer in one of three groups following a Mediterranean diet with the VOO group
receiving 15 litres of virgin olive oil per three months, a nut group given 30g a day of walnuts, almonds and hazelnuts, and a third group given instructions and material to follow a low-fat diet.

“We thus observed who had suffered the greatest thickening of this layer — due to arteriosclerosis — a significant improvement and regression of lesions having taken place in those cases that had followed a
Mediterranean diet enriched with virgin olive oil or nuts,” said Dr Ana Sánchez-Tainta, also from the University of Navarra.

The results showed the nut and VOO groups after three months had improved adolipoprotein ratios that delivered lower heart disease risk for both men and women.

Tart cherries : reduce factors associated with heart disease and diabetes

Tart cherries contain:

• Anthocyanins which help reduce inflammation and inhibit tumor growth.
• Flavanols and Flavonols which improve blood flow, heart and brain health, and lowers blood pressure.
• Phenolic Acids which are powerful antioxidants.  
• Phytochemicals (antioxidants) are associated with reducing the risk of major chronic diseases. 
• Plant Hormones that help regulate physiological functions.
• Terpenes that are essential oils from plant elements.

While some other fruits may have some of these bioactive compounds (such as antioxidants), tart cherries possess a wider variety of them and in greater amounts.  For this reason, it is extremely beneficial to seek out tart cherries at your local grocery store and make them a regular part of your diet.  Look for the can of tart cherries, the jam made from tart cherries or the tart cherry juice health drink made from all natural tart cherries

Study Reveals Best Fish for Heart Health

In light of ongoing concerns over mercury levels in fish, a team of researchers has conducted a study which found that the health benefits of fish outweigh the negative impacts when consumers choose wisely.

The joint study out of Sweden and Finland aimed to create a risk-benefit model that would shed light on the risk of mercury consumption, versus the value of omega-3 fatty acids, which have been linked to everything from heart health to cognitive function and improved eyesight.

Published in the October issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, the study examined mercury levels and omega-3 concentrations in the hair and blood samples of 361 Swedish men and 211 men from Finland, all of whom had suffered from a heart attack.

While methyl mercury in fish may, indeed, pose a health risk, even a small change in fish consumption was found to prevent 7 percent of heart attacks in men, as long as mercury levels remained low.

The conclusion? Eat fish, but avoid large predatory species like pike and perch which contain a lot more mercury than smaller ones.

The US Food and Drug Administration also offers a consumer’s guide to different types of fish, advising against the consumption of shark, swordfish, King mackerel, and tilefish for their high mercury content.

Other tips:

• Five of the most commonly eaten types of seafood low in mercury are shrimp, canned light tuna, salmon, pollock, and catfish.

• Eat up to 12 ounces (the equivalent of two average meals) a week of fish and shellfish that are low in mercury.

• Opt for canned light tuna over albacore tuna, which contains more mercury.

Painkillers pose problems for people with heart disease

(Harvard Health Publications) As if people with the combination of high blood pressure and heart disease don’t already have enough to worry about, a new study suggests that common painkillers called nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) pose special problems for them.

Among participants of an international trial called INVEST, those who often used NSAIDs such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin and others), naproxen (Aleve, Naprosyn, and others), or celecoxib (Celebrex) were 47% more likely to have had a heart attack or stroke or to have died for any reason over three years of follow-up than those who used the drugs less, or not at all. The results were published in the July issue of the American Journal of Medicine.

Millions of people take NSAIDs to relieve pain and inflammation. They are generally safe and effective. The main worry with NSAIDs has always been upset stomach or gastrointestinal bleeding. During the last few years, researchers have raised concerns that their use may be hard on the heart as well.

This one study, and the handful that have come before it, don’t mean that people with high blood pressure and heart disease or other cardiovascular conditions should stop taking NSAIDs, especially if they are used to ease pain from a chronic condition like arthritis. But it may make sense to try an alternative first.

Talk with your doctor about taking aspirin instead of ibuprofen, naproxen, or other traditional NSAID. Aspirin eases pain and inflammation and also offers protection against myocardial infarction (heart attack) and the most common kind of stroke.

Try acetaminophen (Tylenol and many generic versions) instead of an NSAID. Be careful not to take more than 3,250 milligrams in a 24-hour period, and read medication labels—many combination over-the-counter products contain acetaminophen.

If aspirin or acetaminophen doesn’t give you enough relief, try a low-dose NSAID. Early studies suggested that naproxen it may be safer than ibuprofen, although this has been challenged.

If you take ibuprofen and aspirin, take the aspirin at least 30 minutes before the ibuprofen or eight hours afterward. Aspirin’s ability to protect the heart depends on its fitting snugly into the pocket of an enzyme known as cyclooxygenase. Ibuprofen can block aspirin’s entry into this pocket.