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“A critical weekly review of important new research findings for health-conscious readers” 

COFFEE IMPROVES HDL CHOLESTEROL LEVELS

Coffee is the second most commonly traded commodity in the world (following oil), and is widely consumed around the world as the second most popular beverage (after water).  It is estimated that the coffee industry generates some $60 billion in revenue every year. 

In the United States, coffee drinkers consume an average of 3 cups of this caffeine-loaded beverage each day.  (Slightly more than 50 percent of Americans drink coffee on a daily basis, while another 30 percent of the population drinks coffee on an occasional basis.) 

Many health claims have been for coffee, although few have withstood the scrutiny of serious research.  However, previous research studies have suggested that regular coffee consumption may reduce inflammation in the body, and increase HDL levels (HDL is also known as “the good cholesterol”).  A newly published clinical research study, in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, has evaluated these claims, and the results of this research study will be of considerable interest to coffee lovers everywhere.

In this study, 47 volunteers who regularly consumed coffee were evaluated.  During the first month of this study, these research volunteers refrained from drinking coffee.  During the second month of this study, each volunteer consumed 4 cups of filtered coffee per day (each cup contained 150 ml of coffee).  Finally, during the third month of this study, each volunteer consumed a nerve-jangling 8 cups of filtered coffee per day!  Blood samples were collected throughout this research study, and were tested for total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, LDL cholesterol (the “bad cholesterol”), and caffeine, as well as for several markers of inflammation.

In this study, the regular daily consumption of 8 cups of coffee per day was found to significantly reduce the blood levels of several proteins associated with chronic inflammation (by as much as 16 percent, when compared to no coffee consumption).  Moreover, HDL cholesterol levels increased by 7 percent during the final phase of this study (when compared to the “no coffee” first phase), when the research volunteers were consuming 8 cups of coffee per day (and the ratio between LDL cholesterol and HDL cholesterol decreased by 8 percent during the final phase of this study).  At the same time, although previous research has suggested that coffee consumption may improve glucose control in diabetics, there was no evidence of improved glucose metabolism or blood-glucose levels with increasing coffee intake in this particular study.

Therefore, this intriguing little prospective clinical research study revealed that drinking 8 cups of coffee per day appeared to decrease the level of inflammation-associated proteins in the body, while also increasing levels of heart-healthy LDL cholesterol in the blood.  However, this small and brief study cannot answer the very important question of whether or not these observed biochemical changes in the blood will actually translate into improved health.  Nonetheless, this study’s finding that HDL cholesterol levels increase with regular daily coffee intake may indeed be good news for folks with mildly-to-moderately decreased HDL levels.  Longer term prospective clinical studies will be necessary, however, to quantify the actual health benefit, if any, of regular coffee consumption. 

To learn more about the critical role of diet as part of a cancer prevention lifestyle, look for the publication of my new landmark evidence-based book, “A Cancer Prevention Guide for the Human Race,” in the summer of this year.

Dr. Wascher is an oncologic surgeon, a professor of surgery, a cancer researcher, an oncology consultant, and a widely published author

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-Tdv7XW0qg

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http://www.imcworldwide.org/haiti 

http://www.redcross.org/

Welcome to Weekly Health Update

  “A critical weekly review of important new research findings for health-conscious readers” 

WALNUTS, CHOLESTEROL, LDL & TRIGLYCERIDES

Walnuts are rich in anti-inflammatory nutrients, including omega-3 fatty acids and ellagic acid.   Previous research has shown that the regular consumption of walnuts appears to improve cardiovascular function following high-fat meals.  In diabetics, who face an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, walnuts also appear to improve cardiovascular function.

A newly published prospective, randomized clinical research trial, which appears in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, evaluated the effects of a walnut-supplemented diet on 87 adults with normal-to-high cholesterol levels in their blood.  This study used a “crossover” approach, in which all of the patient volunteers received walnut supplements for 6 months, and were then switched to a walnut-free diet for another 6 months.  During this 12-month study, blood tests were performed at the beginning of the study, and then at 4, 6, 10 and 12 months into the study.  Because of the crossover design of this study, the researchers were able to directly compare the effects of walnut supplementation on body weight, total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol (the “bad cholesterol”), HDL cholesterol (the “good cholesterol”), and fatty acids (triglycerides).  (Together, these compounds are referred to as “lipids.”)

As has been observed in previous clinical studies of shorter duration, this study found that a 6-month period of walnut supplementation resulted in significant reductions in total cholesterol and triglyceride levels.  LDL levels were also reduced, although this finding just barely failed to reach statistical significance.  Importantly, these favorable changes in blood lipid levels were found to be more pronounced in patients with elevated total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol levels.  (I should note that significant reductions in LDL blood levels have been observed in response to adding walnuts to the diet of patients with elevated LDL levels, in other studies.)

While statins, and other lipid-lowering drugs, have revolutionized the management of elevated cholesterol and triglycerides, and have been shown to significantly reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease (and death due to cardiovascular disease), not all patients with hyperlipidemia can tolerate these drugs.  Moreover, as with all medications, these lipid-lowering drugs are not equally effective in all patients, and many patients with hyperlipidemia will continue to have elevated LDL cholesterol and/or triglyceride levels despite taking lipid-lowering drugs.

Studies such as this one suggest that the addition of walnuts to one’s diet may be a useful adjunct in lowering elevated LDL cholesterol and triglyceride levels.  (As always, I encourage everyone to check with their doctor before making any significant alterations in their diet, especially if you have one or more chronic illnesses.)

http://www.redcross.org/

http://www.imcworldwide.org/haiti

Disclaimer: As always, my advice to readers is to seek the advice of your physician before making any significant changes in medications, diet, or level of physical activity

For a different perspective on Dr. Wascher, please click on the following YouTube link: 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-Tdv7XW0qg

I and the staff of Weekly Health Update would like to take this opportunity to thank the nearly 120,000 new and returning readers who visited our premier global health information website last month.  As always, we enjoy receiving your stimulating feedback and questions, and I will continue to try and personally answer as many of your inquiries as I possibly can.