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Science Forum Index » Medicine Forum » Tomato Sauce Versus Statins...
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| ironjustice... |
 Posted: Thu Jul 03, 2008 3:59 am |
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Lycopene as effective as statins for artery health: rabbit study
By Stephen Daniells
03-Jul-2008 - Supplements of the lycopene, the carotenoid that give
tomatoes their red colour, may be as effective as statins to reduce
the formation of plaques in the arteries that cause atherosclerosis,
says a new study with rabbits.
If the results of the study, published in the journal Nutrition, can
be repeated in humans, they will add to a significant body of research
supporting the potential heart health benefits of lycopene,
predominantly associated with benefits for prostate health.
Lycopene is an antioxidant that is present in red- and pink-coloured
fruits and vegetables. As well as being used as a food colouring, it
is also used in supplements. The role of lycopene in heart health and
in reducing the risk of certain cancers is supported by a body of
research.
Min-Yu Hu and co-workers from the Central South University in
Changsha, China divided 40 male adult rabbits into five equal groups
to consume a standard diet, a high-fat diet, a high-fat diet plus 4 or
12mg per kg of lycopene, or the high-fat diet plus 10mg per kg of
fluvastatin. The animals consumed the diets for eight weeks.
The researchers used a relatively high dose of lycopene (4 and 12 mg/
kg of body weight) because rabbits reportedly do not absorb the
nutrient efficiently. These doses produced blood levels of the
carotenoid of 0.19 and 0.24 moles per litre, respectively.
"This corresponds to low plasma levels of lycopene in humans who may
achieve five-fold higher levels already with the intake of only 0.3 mg/
kg of body weight," explained the authors.
At the end of the study, the animals fed only the high-fat diet had
higher levels of total and LDL cholesterol, triacylglycerols, oxidised
low-density lipoprotein, malonaldehyde, and interleukin-1 than animals
fed the standard diet.
However, animals fed the high-fat diet and supplemented with lycopene
or fluvastatin had improved levels of these biomarkers, and the
lycopene of both doses was better than the statin.
"The results of our experiment in the high-fat diet rabbit model
showed that lycopene and fluvastatin lowered serum levels of total
cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol, improved lipid metabolism, and
reduced the amount of triacylglycerols," wrote the authors.
"Lycopene intervention reduced the increase in ox-LDL levels in
rabbits on the high-fat diet, whereas fluvastatin did not show such an
effect. The cause of this difference is at present not known, although
the result speaks in favour of lycopene," they added.
"These findings provide a theoretical rationale for the use of
lycopene as a preventive in atherosclerosis," they concluded.
Atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries, is a major risk factor
for cardiovascular disease (CVD), which causes almost 50 per cent of
deaths in Europe, and is reported to cost the EU economy about €169bn
($202bn) per year.
Source: Nutrition
Published online ahead of print, 30 June 2008, doi: 10.1016/j.nut.
2008.05.006
"Comparison of lycopene and fluvastatin effects on atherosclerosis
induced by a high-fat diet in rabbits"
Authors: M.-Y. Hu, Y.-L. Li, C.-H. Jiang, Z.-Q. Liu, S.-L. Qu, Y.-M.
Huang
Who loves ya.
Tom
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DEAD PEOPLE WALKING
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