Nuts and their bioactive constituents: effects on serum lipids and other factors that affect disease risk.
Because nuts have favorable fatty acid and nutrient profiles; there is growing interest in evaluating their role in a heart-healthy diet. Nuts are low in saturated fatty acids and high in monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids. In addition; emerging evidence indicates that there are other bioactive molecules in nuts that elicit cardioprotective effects. These include […]
Health implications of Mediterranean diets in light of contemporary knowledge. Plant foods and dairy products.
Several carefully studied populations in Mediterranean countries and in some areas in Asia where traditional diets consisted largely of foods of plant origin exhibit low rates of many chronic diseases and long life expectancies. Many case-control and prospective studies have provided further evidence that high consumption of plant foods confers numerous health benefits. Investigations support […]
Direct comparison of a dietary portfolio of cholesterol-lowering foods with a statin in hypercholesterolemic partipants.
BACKGROUND: 3-Hydroxy-3-methyl-glutaryl-coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase inhibitors reduce serum cholesterol and are increasingly advocated in primary prevention to achieve reductions in LDL cholesterol. Newer dietary approaches combining cholesterol-lowering foods may offer another option; but these approaches have not been compared directly with statins in the same persons. OBJECTIVE: The objective was to compare; in the same […]
Low-glycemic-index starchy foods in the diabetic diet.
Eight patients with noninsulin-dependent diabetes underwent two 2-wk study periods in random order during which they were provided with carbohydrate foods with either a high or low glycemic index (GI). Over both high-GI and low-GI periods there were significant reductions in body weight; serum fructosamine; and cholesterol. Reductions in fasting blood glucose; HbA1c; and urinary […]
Glycemic index of foods: a physiological basis for carbohydrate exchange.
The determine the effect of different foods on the blood glucose; 62 commonly eaten foods and sugars were fed individually to groups of 5 to 10 healthy fasting volunteers. Blood glucose levels were measured over 2 h; and expressed as a percentage of the area under the glucose response curve when the same amount of […]
Plant-based foods and prevention of cardiovascular disease: an overview.
Evidence from prospective cohort studies indicates that a high consumption of plant-based foods such as fruit and vegetables; nuts; and whole grains is associated with a significantly lower risk of coronary artery disease and stroke. The protective effects of these foods are probably mediated through multiple beneficial nutrients contained in these foods; including mono- and […]
High monounsaturated fat diets for patients with diabetes mellitus: a meta-analysis.
The most recent position statement on nutrition from the American Diabetes Association recommends an individualized approach to nutrition that is based on the nutritional assessment and desired outcomes of each patient and that takes into consideration patient preferences and control of hyperglycemia and dyslipidemia. To achieve these nutritional goals; either low-saturated-fat; high-carbohydrate diets or high-monounsaturated-fat […]
Activity in vitro of resveratrol on granulocyte and monocyte adhesion to endothelium.
BACKGROUND: Resveratrol is a phytoalexin present in red wine. It has been shown to protect LDL from peroxidative degradation. OBJECTIVE: In consideration of the low plasma concentration of orally adsorbed resveratrol (which is insufficient for antioxidant protection of LDL); we studied another effect of the compound. DESIGN: Because resveratrol is a tyrosine kinase inhibitor like […]
Associations between diet and cancer; ischemic heart disease; and all-cause mortality in non-hispanic white California Seventh-day Adventists.
Results associating diet with chronic disease in a cohort of 34192 California Seventh-day Adventists are summarized. Most Seventh-day Adventists do not smoke cigarettes or drink alcohol; and there is a wide range of dietary exposures within the population. About 50% of those studied ate meat products or =3 times/wk compared with vegetarians]; significant protective associations […]
Diet and coronary heart disease: beyond dietary fats and low-density-lipoprotein cholesterol.
Traditionally; the effects of diet on coronary heart disease have been attributed to the effects of medium-chain fatty acids; soluble fiber; and dietary cholesterol on serum low-density-lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol concentrations. We review evidence here that many other dietary substances may affect risk; often via mechanisms not involving LDL-cholesterol concentrations directly. Such substances include phytosterols; tocotrienols; […]