Seeds of Heart Health for the New Year

You've probably heard my mantra for a healthy diet (borrowed from author Michael Pollan):  "Eat food.  Not too much.  Mostly plants."  To expand on this, we can look to the Mediterranean diet -- that style of eating that is based on whole grains, vegetables, nuts, legumes (beans), and smaller amounts of animal-based protein.  This simple approach works well for maintaining a healthy body weight, and preventing chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease.

A review (1) in the journal Clinical Lipidology (yes, you read that right; "lipidology" means the study of cholesterol and other fats) looks at dietary factors most associated with lowering cholesterol.

"The foods with the most evidence for cholesterol reduction are nuts, legumes, whole cereals rich in soluble fiber, and cocoa and its main commercial product, chocolate."

OK -- this sounds a lot like the Mediterranean diet.  What the author goes on to point out, though, is that all of these foods are actually seeds.  Obvious once someone points it out, isn't it?  Yet with as many years as I've taught patients and students about nutrition, this struck me as a beautifully concise revelation.  Even whole grains like oats are seeds.  And chocolate?  Yes, please!

Seeds contain fiber, healthy fats, and disease-busting phytonutrients.  Think of them as plant foods bursting with concentrated potential.

1.  Ros E.  How Important Is Dietary Management in Hypercholesterolemia?  Clin Lipidology. 2012;7(5):489-492.

Natural Medicine Myth #4: Acai Berry

This is a continuation of my series (in no particular order) on misperceptions in the field of natural medicine.  My previous articles focused on policosanol, cinnamon, and systemic candida.

If you've been to any sites on the World Wide Web in the past several years, you've probably heard of the miracle fruit called acai berry.  Its touted health benefits range from weight loss to treatment for high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and beyond.  There is no shortage of testimonials about these effects, and the ads about acai are often disguised as phony "news investigations."

The first thing to consider about such claims is that even though testimonials are emotionally compelling, they do not comprise any sort of scientific evidence.  Many of the actual scientific studies about the benefits of acai were done in vitro (that is, in the test tube) -- meaning that any benefits for people actually ingesting acai are purely a guess.

What do we actually know about acai?  This species of palm tree (Euterpe oleracea) is common in South America, and produces an antioxidant-rich fruit.  This fruit is an important staple in the diet of some native Amazonian peoples.  The antioxidant qualities of acai have contributed to its reputation as a "health food."  Howerver, analyses of this fruit show that its antioxidant content is lower than that of blueberries, mango, strawberries, and grapes.

If you've been around the natural health scene for a while, you've seen this before.  Prior to acai, the miracle fruit was goji berry.  Then there was mangosteen, and oh yeah -- noni juice!  Remember that oldie but goodie from the '90s?

People like a good story -- really, it's what makes us human.  We like stories of exotic fruits from faraway lands with mysterious-sounding names.  Does that mean all those anecdotes about health benefits are false?  Maybe not -- if folks are eating the Standard American Diet (S.A.D.) of fast food, processed food, and junk food, then consumption of any fruit or vegetable is bound to improve their health!

Wouldn't it make more sense to eat some healthy fruits grown locally in our own region, like blueberries?  Without the thousands of miles of transportation, they retain much higher levels of their nutrients and antioxidants.  Enjoy the abundance we have right here of colorful fruits and veggies.  Save the exorbitant cost of acai and other miracle fruits; enjoy a good book or movie for your story.

Great Science on What We Should Eat

In recent years, medical researchers have recognized some common denominators in chronic degenerative diseases:  insulin resistance, long-term inflammation, high blood pressure, and cholesterol imbalance (to name a few).  In fact, several of these factors have been grouped together to form metabolic syndrome, a constellation of symptoms including at least 3 of the following 5 conditions:

• Fasting blood sugar (glucose) ≥100 mg/dL
• Blood pressure ≥130/85 mm Hg
• Triglycerides ≥150 mg/dL
• HDL-C ("good cholesterol") < 40 mg/dL in men or < 50 mg/dL in women
• Waist circumference ≥40 inches in men or ≥35 inches in women

I often talk to patients about dietary factors to reduce these risk factors, mainly focused on low glycemic index foods -- healthy foods that stabilize blood sugar and insulin levels throughout the day.  In a recent study (1), researchers used a dietary intervention for overweight middle-aged adults that significantly improved many of these markers for cardiometabolic risk.  Key components of the diet included the following:

• Antioxidant-rich fruits and veggies
• Omega-3 fatty acids (from fish oil)
• A focus on low glycemic index meals
• Viscous dietary fiber and plant sterols/stanols
• Whole grains, soybeans, and almonds
• Probiotic bacteria supplement

Sound familiar?  If you've been through FirstLine Therapy with me, this sounds an awful lot like that diet plan.  Most of these factors are available through sensible consumption of whole foods.  Some are more easily obtained through supplements (probiotic bacteria) or medical food meal replacements (viscous fiber, plant sterols/stanols).  And the results for good adherence to this diet?

• Total cholesterol decreased by 26%
• LDL ("bad cholesterol") decreased by 34%
• hs-CRP (a marker of systemic inflammation) decreased by 29%
• Systolic blood pressure dropped by 8%

Once again, science is showing that a common-sense, supplemented Mediterranean diet is as good as pharmaceuticals for improving cardiometabolic health -- without the side effects.

1.  Juscelino Tovar; Anne Nilsson; Maria Johansson; Rickard Ekesbo; Ann-Margreth Åberg; Ulla Johansson; Inger Björck.  A Diet Based on Multiple Functional Concepts Improves Cardiometabolic Risk Parameters in Healthy Subjects.  Nutr Metab. 2012;9(29).  Accessed August 29, 2012 at http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/766177