http://www.lef.org/newsletter/2005/2005_06_28.htm
Life Extension Update Exclusive
A study published in the May 2005 issue of the British Journal of Nutrition
found that as the total antioxidant capacity of the diet increases, levels
of C-reactive protein go down.
Researchers at the University of Parma in Italy enrolled 243 men and women
who previously participated in a diabetes and cardiovascular disease survey
and follow up. In the current study, the subjects completed three day
dietary records which were analyzed to determine the total antioxidant
capacity (TAC) of the food and beverages consumed. Physical examinations
which included medical history taking, measurement of height, weight, waist
circumference and blood
pressure, and blood testing for the inflammatory marker C-reactive protein
(CRP), cholesterol and other values, were conducted on all participants.
In this study, red wine, fruits, fruit juices, coffee, cereals and
vegetables were major sources of dietary antioxidants. The researchers
found that the total antioxidant capacity of the diet was significantly
higher in men and women who had low plasma C-reactive protein levels than
in those whose CRP levels were considered high at 4.2 milligrams per liter
and higher. Individuals whose CRP levels were high had increased levels of
white blood cells, greater weights and waist circumferences, less insulin
sensitivity, lower levels of HDL and beta-carotene, and were more
likely to have hypertension than those whose CRP levels were low.
Individuals with hypertension had higher levels of CRP across all levels of
dietary total antioxidant capacity, with those whose diets were in the top
25% of total antioxidant capacity having CRP levels
comparable to those of participants without hypertension whose dietary
levels were in the lowest one-fourth.
The anti-inflammatory properties of certain antioxidants has been
attributed to their ability to lower nuclear factor kappa beta (NF-kb)
DNA-binding activity. Activation of NF-kb is promoted by
oxidative stress and results in increased vascular endothelial cellular
adhesion molecules and the production of C-reactive protein by the liver
induced by tumor necrosis factor-alpha and interleukin-6. The significant
association of dietary total antioxidant capacity with inflammation in view
of the fact that only three days worth of dietary information was evaluated
could indicate that the participants' diets were relatively similar over
time, or that the effect of dietary antioxidants has a short time of
induction, which the authors state would suggest a pharmacological effect.
This anti-inflammatory effect could be one of the mechanisms by which
fruits, vegetables and red wine have been shown to be protective against
cardiovascular disease, and could be especially important for individuals
with hypertension.
Hypertension
Several basic concepts are often ignored despite being relevant to the
treatment of hypertensive patients and associated cardiovascular disease.
Although people often consider hypertension as a disease, it is a symptom.
It is one sign of a developing or existing disease.
It is a warning of the manifestation of a disease. Approximately 90% of the
time, the underlying cause(s) of hypertension are unknown and, thus, the
condition is named as essential hypertension.
Commonly, physicians are told that by eliminating the hypertension, that
is, by merely reducing blood pressure, the increased risk and mortality
associated with underlying cardiovascular disease will be reversed.
Unfortunately, the cumulative experience of over two decades of worldwide
clinical trials indicates that getting rid of only one aspect of
hypertensive disease, the elevated blood pressure, reduces only part of the
cardiovascular risk associated with hypertension.
CRP is a marker for systemic inflammation. CRP levels indicate chronic
low-grade inflammation, with linkage to blood vessel damage and vascular
disease (Pasceri et al. 2000). When CRP levels are factored in along with
hypertension, there is significant improvement in predicting cardiac
health. CRP is more than a measurable antecedent preceding a cardiac
problem. CRP acts directly upon the blood vessels to activate adhesion
molecules in endothelial cells: the intercellular adhesion molecule (ICAM-1)
and the vascular cell adhesion molecule (VCAM-1). VCAM-1 may be an early
molecular marker of lesion-prone areas to experimental hypercholesterolemia.
CRP appears intricately involved in the inflammatory process, a target for
the treatment of atherosclerosis (Pasceri et al. 2000).
We believe that damaged vascular endothelial cells contribute to and
perpetuate hypertensive vascular disease, which then progresses to many of
the more serious, well-recognized cardiovascular disorders.
We believe the most immediate key is control of the diet (especially salt
intake) and control of the kinds of fat consumed. We cannot overemphasize
the importance of avoiding trans -fatty acids,
saturated fats, and sugar in favor of omega-3 essential fatty acids,
particularly DHA. It is important to get the right combination of GLA, DHA,
EPA, monounsaturated fats, fat-soluble antioxidant
nutrients (such as coenzyme Q10 and vitamin E), natural vasodilators
(arginine), and a good diet based on fruits and vegetables. Such a diet or
supplementary dietary protocol will likely reduce the
incidence of hypertension and stop the disease progression at it source.
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