Grapefruit
voor lager cholesterol.*
Uit een Israëlische studie blijkt dat 1 grapefruit per dag duidelijk de cholesterolwaarden doet dalen. De studie betrof 57 mensen met hoge cholesterolwaarden die niet reageerden op medicijnen om deze waarden te verlagen. Ze werden verdeeld in drie groepen. Een maand lang kreeg men naast een standaard maaltijd iedere dag de ene groep 1 rode grapefruit, de andere groep 1 witte en de laatste groep niets. Na een maand bleken de cholesterolwaarden van de grapefruit groepen duidelijk lager geworden te zijn. De cholesterolwaarden van de mensen die geen grapefruit kregen bleken ongewijzigd hoog. De rode grapefruits bleken iets meer effect dan witte. Vermoedelijk zijn de antioxidanten in de grapefruits verantwoordelijk voor de resultaten, doch het zouden ook andere bioactieve stoffen kunnen zijn. Verder onderzoek vind plaats om dit verder te onderzoeken. Het is wel oppassen met grapefruits in combinatie met bepaalde medicijnen. Bij medicijngebruik altijd even overleggen met de arts of apotheker.
Red
Grapefruit Appears To Lower Cholesterol, Fight Heart Disease
A grapefruit a day - particularly the
red variety - can help keep heart disease at bay, according to a new study by
Israeli researchers. In a controlled study group of patients with heart
disease, the scientists found that feeding some patients the equivalent of one
grapefruit daily significantly reduced levels of cholesterol in comparison to
patients that did not eat grapefruit. Chronic high blood cholesterol is a
major risk factor for heart disease.
The study, which strengthens a growing body of evidence supporting the
heart-healthy benefits of eating citrus fruit, was published on the website of
the American Chemical Society's Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry .
The findings come at an appropriate time: The month of February has been
designated as American Heart Month and heart disease is the number one killer
of women in the United States. The study will appear in the journal's March 22
print issue.
The study included 57 patients, both men and women, with hyperlipidemia (high
blood cholesterol) who recently had coronary bypass surgery and whose high
lipid levels failed to respond significantly to statin drugs. Statins are
commonly prescribed to lower cholesterol, according to study leader Shela
Gorinstein, Ph.D., a chief scientist at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
The patients, equally divided into three treatment groups, were given either a
single serving of fresh red grapefruit, white (blond) grapefruit or no
grapefruit, along with regular, balanced meals for 30 consecutive days.
Israeli Jaffa red and white grapefruit varieties, which are available in the
U.S., were used in this study.
The patients who received either red or white grapefruit showed significant
decreases in blood lipid levels, whereas the patients that did not eat
grapefruit showed no changes in lipid levels, according to the researchers.
Red grapefruit was more effective than white in lowering lipids, particularly
blood triglycerides, a type of cholesterol whose elevated levels are often
associated with heart problems, the researchers say.
It is likely that antioxidants in the grapefruits are responsible for their
health benefits, says Gorinstein, adding that the red variety generally has
higher antioxidants than the white. But it's also possible that red grapefruit
may contain unknown chemicals that are responsible for the observed
triglyceride-lowering effect, she says. Additional studies are planned.
Both the fresh fruit and the juice are believed to be equally beneficial,
Gorinstein and her associates say. One cup of fresh grapefruit is roughly
equivalent to half a cup of juice.
Grapefruit is known to interact with certain medications -sometimes adversely
- so the researchers caution people on prescription medication to consult with
their doctor or pharmacist to determine whether their medicine will interact
before consuming grapefruit products. Appropriate exercise, well-balanced
nutrition and avoidance of tobacco also are important factors in reducing the
risk of heart disease, health experts say.
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nonprofit organization chartered by the U.S. Congress and a global leader in
providing access to chemistry-related research through its multiple databases,
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Washington, D.C., and Columbus, Ohio.
Contact: Michael Bernstein
m_bernstein@acs.org
American Chemical Society
