04 February 2013
According to a new US study regular intakes of lycopene can reduce the incidence of cardiovascular disease and coronary heart disease.
The study analyzed lycopene intakes and the incidence of cardiovascular disease (CVD), coronary heart disease (CHD), and stroke in participants of the epidemiological Framingham Offspring Study (1). Repeated measures of intake were obtained over 10 years. The study results showed that the highest average lyco-pene intakes were associated with a 17% reduction in CVD incidence and a 26% decrease in CHD incidence. No association was observed for lycopene intake and stroke incidence. The average lycopene intake was
7.9 milligrams per day.
The researchers concluded that the new study results add to the accumulating evidence that lycopene is related to CVD risk. As tomatoes and tomato-based products are by far the most important dietary sources of lycopene in observational studies, it isdifficult to separate lycopene’s potential contribution to cardiovascu-lar health from the overall contribution made by tomato products and their other phytochemical components.
The Framingham Heart Study (FHS) was started in 1948 as a prospective investigation of cardiovascular di-sease in a cohort of 5,209 adult men and women. In 1971, examinations were begun on the children of the FHS cohort. This study, called the Framingham Offspring Study (FOS), was undertaken to expand upon knowledge of cardiovascular disease, particularly in the area of familial clustering of the disease and its risk factors (2).
20 June 2014
A new UK study suggests that a supplementation with lycopene may significantly improve the widening of the blood vessels in patients with cardiovascular disease.
10 March 2014
A long-term daily use of multivitamin as well as vitamin C, vitamin E and beta-carotene supplements may significantly lower the risk of developing cataract in men.
1 August 2012
Omega-3 fatty acids are considered essential fatty acids: They are necessary for health but the human body is not capable of producing them, hence they have to be consumed in the form of food. Also known as polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), omega-3 fatty acids play a crucial role in maintaining health as well as normal growth and development. They have become popular because of their potential benefits for the cardiovascular system. Research indicates that omega-3 fatty acids can reduce inflammation and may help lower risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease, cancer, and arthritis. Less well-known are the positive effects of omega-3 fatty acids – particularly of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) – on the brain. As a key structural element, DHA is highly concentrated in the brain and appears to be important for its development as well as for cognitive (brain memory and performance) and behavioral function.
