Welcome to InterWined.com’s weekly liquid refreshment health news.
We have two interesting studies. The first shows another fruit, other than grapes (and therefore wine), that may help provide powerful antioxidants for the prevention of arterial inflammation.
The second refutes the claim that dairy products help one lose weight…a claim InterWined has never heard before, but the study is adamant that there may me some sort of conspiracy on the part of the all-powerful dairy lobby.
An Apple (juice) a Day
Lead researcher Kelly Decorde from the Universite Montpelier in France found apples have similar cardiovascular protective properties to grapes. The research team also observed that processing the fruit into juice has the potential to increase the bioavailability of the naturally-occurring compounds and antioxidants found in the whole fruit.
The study reinforces prior research supporting similar properties in “cloudy” apple juice, but not in “clear.”
Using a variety of established analytical techniques, aortic plaque was evaluated to determine the effectiveness in decreasing plaque that is associated with atherosclerosis.
According to the research, “This study demonstrates that processing apples and purple grapes into juice modifies the protective effect of their phenolics against diet induced oxidative stress and early atherosclerosis in hypercholesterolemic hamsters.”
Researchers also noted, “These results show for the first time that long-term consumption of antioxidants supplied by apples and purple grapes, especially phenolic compounds, prevents the development of atherosclerosis in hamsters, and that the processing can have a major impact on the potential health effects of a product.”
In summary, the researchers stated that their work would help provide encouragement that fruit and fruit juices may have significant clinical and public health relevance.
The study was published in the April 2008 issue of Molecular Nutrition and Food Research.
Cut out the Diary Fat
A new review of the evidence published in the journal Nutrition Reviews reveals that neither dairy nor calcium intake promotes weight loss. According to the press release, “advertisements saying dairy products help you lose weight are misleading,” and the “dairy industry have asserted the claim using millions of dollars in commercial advertising.”
Amy Joy Lanou of the University of North Carolina at Asheville and Neal Barnard with the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine in Washington, DC, evaluated evidence from 49 clinical trials from 1966 to 2007 that assessed the effect of milk, dairy products, or calcium intake on body weight and BMI, with or without the use of dieting.
Evidence from the trials showed that neither dairy products nor calcium supplements helped people lose weight. Of the 49 clinical trials, 41 showed no effect, two demonstrated weight gain, one showed a lower rate of weight gain, and only five showed weight loss.
An association between calcium or dairy intake and weight loss seen in some observational studies may be attributable to other factors, such as exercise, decreased soda intake, lifestyle habits, or increased fiber, fruit, and vegetable intake.
“Our findings demonstrate that increasing dairy product intake does not consistently result in weight or fat loss and may actually have the opposite effect,” the authors conclude.
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