October 29, 2004 – Drinking 250ml to 500ml of cranberry juice per day raised good cholesterol (HDL) levels in slightly overweight men with high bad cholesterol (LDL) levels, according to results of a very recent Quebec study.
For three months, 30 men between the ages of 18 and 70 with a slight overweight problem consumed daily doses of cranberry juice. None of the participants were on medication and they all had high bad cholesterol (LDL) levels.
The participants had to drink 500 ml per day of a liquid preparation composed, for the first month, of 125 ml of cranberry juice and a placebo juice. The dose of cranberry juice was increased in the second month to 250 ml and then finally to 500 ml during the last month.
By the eighth week, the level of good cholesterol had increased in the blood of the participants. The Dr Charles Couillard, responsible for this study, told PasseportSanté.net that at the end of the study, the level of good cholesterol had risen by 8% in these men. Significant data which, according to him, shows that the arteries are in the process of being cleaned up. By raising the level of good cholesterol, the juice had a beneficial effect on the blood circulation without changing the total concentration of cholesterol in these men.
The cranberry juice chosen by the Quebec researcher was a “light” version of a well-known brand, in order to reduce the number of calories ingested.
According to the Dr Couillard, drinking one to two glasses of cranberry juice a day is a good habit to take. He adds that to maximize the beneficial effects of this beautiful red fruit from the peatlands of North America and Europe, however, one must adopt an active lifestyle and healthy eating habits.
The study was conducted at the Institute of Nutraceuticals and Functional Foods at Laval University (INAF) and was funded by the Canadian Cranberry Growers Association. The results were presented during the Canadian Heart Health Congress in Calgary and will be submitted shortly for publication in an American medical journal.
Marie france Coutu – PasseportSanté.net
From Canada News Wire, October 25, 2004
