Atherosclerosis is a chronic inflammatory disease of the arteries: in concrete terms, cholesterol “plaques” form on the arterial wall, preventing proper oxygenation of the organs by the blood. If no treatment is put in place, the patient may experience a myocardial infarction (that is, a heart attack) and / or a cerebrovascular accident (stroke).
In France, atherosclerosis – which considerably increases the cardiovascular risk – is thought to be the cause of 150,000 deaths each year. Be careful not to confuse this chronic disease with arteriosclerosis, which corresponds to normal aging of the artery walls.
According to a new study from Linköping University (Sweden), a particular antioxidant may reduce inflammation in people with atherosclerosis: lutein.
Cooked kale and cooked spinach
This molecule (especially present in cabbage and spinach) belongs to the carotenoid family. “We found that lutein was absorbed and stored by cells of the immune system in the blood,” explains Rosanna Chung, co-author of the study. We found that the higher the blood lutein level, the lower the interleukin-6 level (a marker of arterial inflammation). “
To come to this conclusion, Swedish scientists worked with 193 volunteers with atherosclerosis. These were followed for 3 months and underwent several blood samples during the observation period.
The advice of researchers? Consume lutein regularly through the diet, at least 10 mg per day: thus, in 130 g of cooked kale, we find 24 mg of lutein, and in 180 g of cooked spinach, we find 20 mg. .
This work has been published in the specialist journal Atherosclerosis.
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