Breaking Down Cholesterol
March 16, 2010
Natural News
By Dr. Julian Whitaker
I’d like to shine the spotlight on one of medicine’s sacred cows- the belief that lowering cholesterol with drugs protects against heart attacks and premature death. Our obsession with cholesterol began in the 1950s when studies linked high consumption of animal fat with high rates of heart disease. This opened the door for clinical trials that laid the foundation of a new paradigm: the cholesterol theory of cardiovascular disease.
This theory has had profound ramifications. It changed the way we eat (fats bad, carbohydrates good) and contributed to our problems with obesity and diabetes. It wormed its way into “clinical practice guidelines”- cholesterol management has become a “standard of care” that doctors are expected to follow. It spawned the invasive heart surgery industry, based on the presumption that cholesterol-laden blockages must be bypassed or propped open. And it led to the creation of the best-selling class of medications in history: cholesterol-lowering statin drugs, which generate more than $15 billion in worldwide sales every year.
But it’s all a house of cards. No matter what you’ve been led to believe, a high cholesterol level is not a reliable sign of an impending heart attack. In fact, growing numbers of experts question whether cholesterol matters at all. As for statin drugs, for most of the 40-plus million Americans recommended to take them for the rest of their lives, they’re an ineffective, expensive, side effect- riddled fraud.
Statin-Free Zone
When a patient taking Lipitor, Zocor, or another statin drug comes to Whitaker Wellness, we discontinue it at once. “But my cholesterol level is 240.” “My doctor told me I’ll have a heart attack if I don’t take this drug.”My father died of heart disease, so I have to take it.” I’ve heard all these justifications and more, and I still recommend that my patients get off statins. Here’s why.
First, they’re not very effective. These drugs do lower cholesterol, but so what? We’re not treating lab numbers. We’re treating patients, and the ultimate goal in cholesterol management is to reduce risk of cardiovascular disease. Except for a very limited number of people, there is absolutely no evidence that statins protect against heart attack or premature death.
Are you over age 65? Not a single study suggests you’ll receive any benefits, even if your cholesterol goes down substantially. A woman of any age? Same story. A man younger than 65 who has never had a heart attack? Ditto, no help at all. For middle-aged men who have had a heart attack, statins may lower risk of a repeat heart attack, but that’s the extent of it.
I know this is hard to buy in light of the multiple drug advertisements and glowing endorsements from doctors. But keep in mind that pharmaceutical companies do a superb job of pulling the wool over the eyes of consumers and physicians alike by withholding unfavorable study results and making false, misleading, and often deceptive claims.
A Statistic We Can Understand
That’s why I want to step around confusing statistics and tell you about an easy-to-understand measure that you’ll never hear about in drug ads. It’s called “number needed to treat,” or NNT, and it describes the number of patients who would need to be treated with a medical therapy in order to prevent one bad outcome. Experts consider an NNT over 50 to be “worse than a lottery ticket.”
Lipitor ads claim that it reduces risk of heart attack by 36 percent. Sounds pretty good until you look at the fine print, do the math (which John Carey did in a great article in Business Week), and figure out that the drug’s NNT is 100. This means that 100 people must be treated with Lipitor in order for just one heart attack to be prevented. The other 99 people taking the drug receive no benefit.
To put this into perspective, the NNT of antibiotics for treating H. pylori, the underlying cause of stomach ulcers, is 1.1. These drugs knock out the bacteria in 10 out of 11 people who take it, making them a reliable, cost-effective therapy. At the other end of the spectrum are statins, which as a class have an NNT of 250, 500, or higher depending on the study you look at. What a deal for drugs that can cost more than a thousand bucks a year and are almost guaranteed to cause problems.
Goodbye Drugs, So Long Symptoms
Statins lower cholesterol by suppressing the activity of an enzyme in the liver involved in the production of cholesterol. But this enzyme has multiple functions, including the synthesis of coenzyme Q10. CoQ10 is a key player in the metabolic processes that energize our cells. No wonder statin users often suffer from fatigue, muscle pain and weakness, and even heart failure- the cells are simply running out of juice.
The second most frequent adverse effects of statins are problems with memory, mood, suicidal behavior, and neurological issues. Other common complaints include sexual dysfunction, and liver and digestive problems. Symptoms range from minor (achiness, forgetfulness) to serious (complete but temporary amnesia, permanent memory loss) to lethal (congestive heart failure, rhabdomyolysis or complete muscle breakdown). One statin drug, Baycol, was taken off the market a few years ago after it caused dozens of deaths from rhabdomyolysis. Several studies have also linked statin drugs with an increased risk of cancer.
Because physicians rarely warn of these side effects, few patients suspect their drugs may be the reason they begin feeling bad- and it’s often a revelation when they put two and two together. Simply discontinuing these medications can result in tremendous improvements in health and well-being. Texas cardiologist Peter Langsjoen, MD, published a study showing that when symptomatic patients got off their statins and started taking 240 mg of CoQ10 per day, they had significant decreases in fatigue, myalgias (muscle aches), dyspnea (shortness of breath), memory loss, and/or peripheral neuropathy.
Not a Drug But a Program
As you can see, we need to shift away from this myopic focus on statin drugs and lowering cholesterol, and take a more holistic view. Folks, you don’t need statins- you need a program that addresses all the known risk factors for heart attack, stroke, and other cardiovascular disorders.
Inflammation, not high cholesterol, is the primary cause of heart disease. Harvard researchers have discovered that a high blood level of C-reactive protein, a marker of inflammation, is more predictive of heart disease than cholesterol. To get a handle on inflammation, lose weight- especially if you carry excess fat in the abdominal area. Exercise. Stop smoking. Eat plenty of vegetables and several weekly servings of salmon, sardines, and other omega-3 fatty acids, and avoid sugars and starches.
The beauty of this program is that it targets not only inflammation but other conditions that contribute to cardiovascular disease, including high blood pressure, diabetes, even cholesterol. Best of all, it’s a foundation for overall good health.
Necessary Nutrients
Your program should include a well-rounded nutritional supplement regimen, as well. My number-one suggestion for inflammation in all its guises is fish oil. This supplement also improves blood flow, discourages excess clotting, helps normalize heart rhythm, and saves lives by reducing risk of sudden cardiac death.
Folic acid and other B-complex vitamins are important because they lower levels of homocysteine, a toxic substance that damages the arteries. The mineral magnesium relaxes the arterial walls, which improves blood flow, lowers blood pressure, and helps prevent arrhythmias. And antioxidants, such as vitamins C and E, provide protection against damaging free radicals- another contributor to cardiovascular disease.
Supplements that boost the heart’s energy are recommended as well. One is coenzyme Q10. In addition to serving as a potent antioxidant, CoQ10 also increases the heart muscle’s efficiency and protects against the adverse effects of statin drugs. Another is D-ribose, a natural sugar that is the structural backbone of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the energy that fuels cellular function.
Click here for the full report.
Erectile Dysfunction May Predict Heart Risk
March 16, 2010
Los Angeles Times
By Thomas H. Maugh II
For the first time, researchers have shown that erectile dysfunction is a strong predictor of the likelihood that men will die of heart disease.
Men who suffer from the problem, which some consider more an emotional than a physical issue, are twice as likely to succumb to cardiovascular disease or heart attacks as those who do not have the problem, German researchers reported Monday in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Assn.
Researchers have known for years that there is a link between erectile dysfunction, commonly abbreviated as ED, and heart disease, said Dr. Sahil Parikh, an interventional cardiologist from University Hospitals Case Medical Center in Cleveland who was not involved in the study. “But now there is pretty clear evidence that there is a substantially increased risk of heart attack and death when patients have erectile dysfunction.”
The results are probably not too surprising, added Dr. Robert Kloner, a cardiologist at USC’s Keck School of Medicine, “because arteries in the penis are smaller, so atherosclerosis shows up there sooner,” perhaps three to four years before the onset of cardiovascular disease.
The take-home message, both experts said, is that when a patient seeks treatment for ED, typically from a general practitioner, he should be given a full physical work-up to look for heart disease and referred to a cardiologist.
“When they are treated aggressively early, we can prevent heart attacks and stroke and they can have many years added to their lives,” Parikh said.
Existing guidelines for treating men with ED from the Princeton Consensus Conference already state that “a man with ED and no cardiac symptoms is a cardiac (or vascular) patient until proven otherwise.” Kloner, a coauthor of those guidelines, said that when the guidelines are updated this year, they will probably carry a stronger recommendation that a patient presenting with ED get a cardiovascular examination.
Dr. Michael Bohm, a cardiologist at Germany’s Saarland University, and his colleagues studied 1,519 men from 13 countries who were involved in a study of two drugs to treat cardiovascular disease. The men were also queried about their ED at the beginning of the study, two years into it and at the end at five years. A full 55% of the men had ED at the beginning of the trial, nearly double the normal incidence of about 30% in the population at large.
The team reported that, in the five years of follow-up, men with ED were 1.9 times as likely to die from heart disease, twice as likely to have a heart attack, 1.2 times as likely to be hospitalized for heart failure and 1.1 times more likely to have a stroke. The risks increased with the severity of the ED.
Disappointingly, the two drugs tested in the study, ramipril and telmisartan, did not improve the course of the ED.
That’s not surprising, said Dr. Peter Pelikan, a cardiologist at Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, “because it takes years and years and years to get any resorption of cholesterol” that would reduce blockage of the penile arteries. “The study was too small and too short to see that.”
Many men with ED see a general practitioner or a urologist to get treatment and are prescribed drugs like Viagra or Cialis, Bohm said in a statement. “The drug works and the patient doesn’t show up any more. These men are being treated for ED, but not the underlying cardiovascular disease. A whole segment of men is being placed at risk.”
Click here for the full report.
Reduce Risk of Diabetes With Vitamin D
February 14th, 2010
Press Association
People who get plenty of vitamin D can cut their chance of developing heart disease or diabetes by 43%, researchers have said.
Exposure to sunshine alongside a healthy diet rich in oily fish such as salmon, tuna and mackerel can provide adequate protection, they said.
Researchers reviewed 28 existing studies on almost 100,000 people looking at vitamin D levels among the middle-aged and elderly.
The team, from Warwick Medical School, examined the effect of the vitamin on cardiovascular disease, Type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome.
One of the authors, Dr Johanna Parker, who is currently working in a Birmingham GP practice, said: “The research we conducted looked at naturally-occurring vitamin D rather than supplements.
“We recommend people eat a healthy diet with two to three portions of oily fish a week and five portions of fruit and vegetables.
“Most – 90% – of your vitamin D comes from sunshine so we recommend sensible sun exposure in the summer. People should expose themselves for 30 minutes twice a week – this means exposing the face and arms with no sunscreen.
“This would provide the body with adequate vitamin D.”
The research was published in the journal Maturitas.
The authors concluded: “When we evaluated the effects of vitamin D levels on the risk of the individual outcomes included, we found a significant association between high levels of vitamin D and a reduction on the risk of having cardiovascular disease (33% reduction compared to low levels of vitamin D), Type 2 diabetes (55% reduction) and metabolic syndrome (51% reduction).
Heart Doctor Wants to Ban Butter
January 19, 2010
Telegraph
by Richard Alleyne
Dr Shyam Kolvekar said that he is “increasingly concerned” about the nation’s eating habits as he is seeing patients as young as 30 in need of heart bypass surgery due to a diet “overloaded” with saturated fat.
According to a national diet survey, nine out of 10 of children, 88 per cent of men and 83 per cent of women in Britain eat too much saturated fat, consuming a fifth too much each day.
It is estimated that by reducing saturated fat intake in line with government recommendations could prevent at least 3,500 deaths per year.
Experts say that over time a diet too high in saturated fats can lead to raised blood cholesterol and a build up of fatty deposits in the arteries that supply the heart.
This increases the risk of heart disease and heart attacks. Cardiovascular disease is responsible for 198,000 deaths a year and costs the economy £7.9 billion a year.
Dr Kolvekar, at University College London Hospital, said: “The amount of children who eat too much saturated fat really is astonishing.
“It’s because most kids start the day with some toast and butter, it’s a staple of breakfast, but not very good for you. Porridge is a much better alternative, much better than sausage and eggs which are also high in fat.
“I am also seeing lots of patients who are incredibly young. You associate heart problems with people in their 50s and 60s but I am seeing people as young as 30.
“For some people it’s genetic but for most it’s just their lifestyle choices. The three main factors are diet, smoking and exercise.
“By adjusting your diet by replacing butter with a healthy spread or margarine is a very simple thing to do and makes a whole world of difference.”
He went on: “In reality people don’t stick to complicated diets.
“By banning butter and replacing it with a healthy spread the average daily fat intake would be reduced by 8g – that’s 40 per cent of a women’s GDA – Guideline Daily Amount. The GDA for a woman is 20g and for a man it’s 30g.
“People should also avoid any foods that are solid at room temperature like cheese and red meat. And if you can’t survive without red meat then make sure you cut all the fat off it.
“This would save thousands of lives each year and help to protect them from cardiovascular disease – the UK’s biggest killer.
“By the time I see people it’s usually too late, but the frustrating thing is that often the need for heart surgery could have been prevented by following a healthier, lower sat fat diet.
“Simple food swaps can make a big difference.”
Leading medical writer and GP, Dr Sarah Jarvis added: “My patients are often simply not aware of how much saturated fat they’re eating and the damage this causes until it’s too late.
“Simple food swaps every day can help dramatically.
“A great example is North Karelia in Finland, where there has been an 82 per cent reduction in heart disease amongst men over the last 40 years, from 1969 to 2002.
“This has been directly linked to a decrease in butter consumption.”
Dr Kolvekar also said he is often asked what to eat by his patients. He creates a “healthy heart” breakfast for them to follow.
BPA Linked to Heart Disease
January 19, 2010
NatrualNews
by S.L. Baker
According to the American Heart Association, cardiovascular disease is the number one killer in the U.S. Various forms of the disease take the lives of over 80 million Americans a year. And while we’ve all heard about the risk factors for cardiovascular disease — including smoking, being overweight, high cholesterol and lack of exercise — it appears it’s time to add bisphenol A, better known as BPA, to that list.
This chemical has been used for decades in polycarbonate plastic products including refillable drink containers, plastic eating utensils and baby bottles as well as the epoxy resins that line most food and soft-drink cans. Now a new study just published in the journal PLoS ONE provides the most compelling evidence so far that BPA exposure is dangerous to the cardiovascular system.
Using 2006 data from the US government’s National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), researchers from the Peninsula Medical School at the University of Exeter in the UK studied urinary BPA concentrations and found a significantly strong link between BPA exposure and heart disease. In 2008, these same scientists discovered that higher urinary BPA concentrations were associated with a long list of medical problems in adults, including liver dysfunction, diabetes and obesity. This research team was also the first to report evidence that BPA was linked to cardiovascular disease — and their new research offers further confirmation of a strong connection between BPA and heart ailments.
Despite the fact the new study found that urinary BPA concentrations were one third lower than those measured from 2003 to 2004, higher concentrations of BPA were still associated with heart disease. “This is only the second analysis of BPA in a large human population sample. It has allowed us to largely confirm our original analysis and exclude the possibility that our original findings were a statistical ‘blip’,” David Melzer, Professor of Epidemiology and Public Health at the Peninsula Medical School and the research team leader, said in a statement to the media.
“We now need to investigate what causes these health risk associations in more detail and to clarify whether they are caused by BPA itself or by some other factor linked to BPA exposure. The risks associated with exposure to BPA may be small, but they are relevant to very large numbers of people. This information is important since it provides a great opportunity for intervention to reduce the risks,” added scientist Tamara Galloway, Professor of Ecotoxicology at the University of Exeter and senior author of the paper.
Vitamin D Linked to Cardiac Deaths in Blacks
January 7, 2010
Business Week
By Ed Edelson
New research indicates that the darker skin of blacks may increase their risk of heart disease and stroke because it reduces production of vitamin D, which is made during exposure to sunlight.
Several studies have associated low levels of vitamin D with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease and “the biggest source of vitamin D levels is sunlight,” said Dr. Kevin Fiscella, a professor of family medicine and community and preventive medicine at the University of Rochester, and co-author of a paper in the January/February issue of the Annals of Family Medicine. “People with dark skin who live at higher latitudes, where the intensity of sunlight is less, may be at greater risk.”
But the issue abounds with unanswered questions, starting with whether there is a real cause-and-effect relationship of vitamin D levels and cardiovascular risk, and ending with whether supplements that increase blood levels of the vitamin lower that risk, Fiscella said.
“We don’t truly know the answer,” Fiscella said. “That is the really pivotal question, what happens to cardiovascular risk if you correct blood levels of vitamin D. We do know that small supplements for middle-aged people don’t seem to have any effect.”
In the study, Fiscella and Dr. Peter Franks of the University of California, Davis, looked at data on more than 15,000 U.S. adults in a national nutritional study. They found that overall, the 25 percent of adults with the lowest levels of vitamin D had a 40 percent higher risk of cardiovascular death. When they singled out blacks, the report found a 38 percent higher incidence of such deaths than among whites. Most of that difference was related to lower levels of vitamin D.
“The first issue is clarifying whether vitamin D is truly an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease,” Fiscella said. There are reasons to believe that it is, since too-low levels of the vitamin are associated with development of high blood pressure, kidney disease and diabetes, he said, but the case is not proven.
A second issue concerns the proper level of intake of the vitamin. “A consensus is evolving that the current levels recommended are too low, and those with darker skin need higher levels,” Fiscella said.
The current recommendation is a daily intake of 400 International Units (IUs) for most adults, and 600 IU for those over 70. Fiscella declined to make a recommendation.
There was no such hesitation on the part of Dr. James O’Keefe Jr., director of preventive cardiology at the Mid America Heart Institute in Kansas City, who has done his own studies of vitamin D and the heart.
“I recommend for most people 2,000 IU a day,” O’Keefe said. “African-Americans probably need closer to 4,000 or 5,000.”
Too few Americans have their vitamin D levels checked regularly, “so I tell people to get their vitamin D levels checked,” O’Keefe said. “Three out of four Americans will need a vitamin D supplement.”
While it hasn’t been proven that raising vitamin D levels reduces cardiovascular risk, studies now underway will answer that question, O’Keefe said. Meanwhile, he said, “vitamin D supplements are very cheap” and it is difficult to overdose on the vitamin, although bone problems can develop with a daily intake of 10,000 or more IU, he said.
Fiscella is much more cautious. “I don’t think we have great data on what happens at very high levels,” he said. “If you recommend very high doses, some people will develop very high blood levels, and we don’t have good enough data to say on the population level what the impact of very high levels would be.”
Walnuts Cut Cholesterol
December 10, 2009
NaturalNews
by David Gutierrez
Eating a diet high in walnuts may decrease cholesterol and fight inflammation, two major risk factors for cardiovascular disease, according to a study conducted by researchers from Harvard University and published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
“Consumption of nuts has been associated with a decreased risk of cardiovascular disease events and death,” the researchers wrote. “Walnuts in particular have a unique profile: they are rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids, which may improve blood lipids and other cardiovascular disease risk factors.”
Walnuts are also considered good dietary sources of fiber, magnesium, B vitamins, vitamin E and other antioxidants.
Researchers analyzed the results of 13 different studies conducted on a total of 365 participants who had obtained between 10 and 24 percent of their calories from walnuts for four to 24 weeks. They found that participants on a high-walnut diet underwent significant decreases in total and LDL (“bad”) cholesterol.
“When compared with control diets, diets supplemented with walnuts resulted in a significantly greater decrease in total cholesterol and in LDL-cholesterol concentrations,” the researchers wrote.
The researchers also found other indicators that even though a high-walnut diet is high in fat, it seems to lower the risk of cardiovascular disease rather than raising it.
“Other results reported in the trials indicated that walnuts provided significant benefits for certain antioxidant capacity and inflammatory markers and had no adverse effects on body weight,” the researchers wrote.
The researchers called for “larger and longer-term trials” to further understand the heart benefits of nut-rich diets.
Prior studies have linked diets high in nuts and berries to a reduced risk of metabolic syndrome, a cluster of symptoms related to cardiovascular disease. Other nuts previously linked to improved cardiovascular health include macadamia nuts and almonds.
Dementia from Traffic Fumes
November 23, 2009
Natural News
By E. Huff
A recent German study published in the journal Environmental Research revealed a definitive link between prolonged inhalation of automobile fumes and inflammation of the brain. An analysis of a group of women found that those who lived closest to busy roads were the most likely to develop memory problems and mild cognitive impairment, indicating the potential onset of fume-induced dementia.
The group from Heinrich-Heine University in Dusseldorf constructed models that measured air pollution and the location of the womens’ homes in proximity to roads that were travelled by more than 10,000 cars in a day. Findings revealed that, among women under age 74, those that lived the closest to the busy roads performed the worst on cognition tests.
Since mild cognitive decline can indicate either a transition between normal aging and dementia, further research and follow-up with the women was emphasized. Alzheimer’s disease is one of the most widely recognized forms of dementia and researchers continue to investigate its causes.
It is widely accepted that air pollution particles are so small that they are able to pass through the lungs and make their way into the brain. As a result, the brain tissue becomes inflamed and cognitive decline begins to occur. By crossing the blood-brain barrier and lodging themselves in the brain, these particulates are the primary suspect in causing cognitive dysfunction.
Toxic heavy metals such as aluminum and mercury act similarly in that they build up in the body, particularly in the brain, and cause serious problems. Antiperspirant deodorants, baking sodas, food additives, and vaccines commonly contain aluminum derivatives that many claim are the perpetrators in causing brain disorders like Alzheimer’s disease. Vaccines are also often loaded with mercury.
Industry must also strive to develop cleaner forms of energy that cause less of a negative impact upon people. Particularly with automobiles, clean fuel technologies are of critical importance since vehicle exhaust is known also to induce asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, cardiovascular disease, cancer, and diabetes.
One would do best to live as far away from busy roads and polluted areas as possible and to integrate an ongoing detoxification regime into his or her lifestyle. By continually ridding the body of lodged toxins with supplements such as chlorella, spirulina, and garlic, the potential for excessive toxin buildup is virtually impossible. By perpetually cleansing the body, it will be better able to fend off harmful disease despite inevitable exposure to various toxins.
Click here for the full report
Study: Diet Soda, Kidney Damage Tied
November 2,2009
HealthDay News
A diet high in salt or artificially sweetened drinks increases the risk of kidney function decline, two studies show.
“There are currently limited data on the role of diet in kidney disease,” researcher Dr. Julie Lin, of Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, said in a news release. “While more study is needed, our research suggests that higher sodium and artificially sweetened soda intake are associated with greater rate of decline in kidney function.”
The first study looked at diet and kidney function decline in more than 3,000 women enrolled in the national Nurses’ Health Study. The researchers found that “in women with well-preserved kidney function, higher dietary sodium intake was associated with greater kidney function decline, which is consistent with experimental animal data that high sodium intake promotes progressive kidney disease.”
The second study looked at the association between sugar- and artificially-sweetened beverages and kidney function decline in the same group of women. The researchers found an association between two or more servings per day of artificially sweetened soda and a two-fold increased risk of faster kidney function decline. There was no connection between sugar-sweetened beverages and kidney function decline.
The association between artificially sweetened beverages and kidney function decline persisted after Lin and colleague Dr. Gary Curhan accounted for other factors, such as age, obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes, smoking, physical activity, caloric intake and cardiovascular disease.
Further study is needed to better understand how artificial sweeteners influence kidney function decline, the researchers said.
The studies were to be presented this week at the annual meeting of the American Society of Nephrology, in San Diego.
Veggie Juice Your Way to Healthy Weight
October 29, 2009
NaturalNews
by David Gutierrez, staff writer
Daily consumption of vegetable juice may not just help increase vegetable consumption, but also improve the effectiveness of weight loss strategies, according to a study conducted by researchers from the University of California-Davis and presented at the Experimental Biology Conference in New Orleans.
The study was funded in part by the Campbell Soup Company.
The researchers conducted the study on 81 adults with metabolic syndrome, three-quarters of them women. Metabolic syndrome refers to a cluster of symptoms — central obesity, high blood levels of trigylcerides and fasting glucose, high blood pressure, and low levels of HDL (“good”) cholesterol — that significantly raise a person’s risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes. All the participants were advised to follow an American Heart Association-recommended diet high in fiber, fruit, vegetables, minerals and low-fat diary, and low in salt and saturated fat. They were also told to drink 0, 1 or 2 cups of low-sodium, high-potassium V8-brand vegetable juice daily.
After 12 weeks, participants who drank either one or two cups of vegetable juice per day lost an average of four pounds, while those who drank no vegetable juice lost only one pound. The researchers also found that people in the vegetable juice groups had significantly higher vitamin C and potassium intake, and a significantly lower intake of carbohydrates.
Drinking vegetable juice also made people significantly more likely to reach the recommended intake of five fruits and vegetables per day. Among those not drinking vegetable juice, less than 25 percent reached the daily fruit and vegetable goal, in contrast with more than 50 percent of those in the one-cup-per-day group and 100 percent of those in the two-cups-per-day group.
“What we found in this study is that drinking vegetable juice seemed to address some of the key barriers to vegetable consumption such as convenience, portability and taste, so individuals were more likely to meet their daily recommendations,” researcher Carl Keen said. “Furthermore, vegetable juice drinkers reported that they actually enjoyed drinking their vegetables, which is critical to adopting dietary practices for the long-term.”
