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Lycopene Linked to
Healthier Blood Vessels
Higher
levels of Lycopene in the blood are associated
with lower stiffness in
the arteries, says a new study
supporting the heart health benefits of
the carotenoid.
Women
with the highest levels of Lycopene also had the
lowest levels of
oxidized LDL-cholesterol, according to a
study with 264 women published
in the journal Atherosclerosis.
Oxidation of LDLs is thought to
play an important role in the
development of atherosclerosis or
hardening of the arteries.
Increasing LDL's resistance to oxidation is
believed to help
delay the progression of the disease.
"Our
finding suggests that serum concentrations of Lycopene
may play a
important role in the early stage of atherosclerosis,"
reported the
researchers from the Department of Food and
Nutrition at Yonsei
University in South Korea.
Growing Science for Lycopene Supplementation
Lycopene
is an antioxidant that is present in red- and pink-
colored fruits and
vegetables. It has been shown to provide
valuable cardiovascular, blood
pressure, prostate, osteoporosis,
skin and other health benefits. It is
used for its functional health
properties in food supplements and some
nutritional food and
beverage products.
Study Details
The
researchers recruited women aged between 31 and 75 and
took blood
samples in order to measure their blood levels of Lycopene,
as well as
other carotenoids. Arterial stiffness was measured using
brachial-ankle
pulse wave velocity (known as baPWV).
According to their
results, women with the highest average Lycopene
blood levels had the
lowest baPWV measurement, compared to
people with the lowest average
Lycopene blood levels. These women
also had lower oxidised LDL levels,
as well as larger LDL particles.
Levels of C-reactive protein, a marker of inflammation, were also lower
in the women with the highest Lycopene levels.
This
result confirms previous reports that Lycopene showed superior
antioxidant capability or trend of a decreased atherosclerotic risk
compared with other antioxidant such as beta-carotene both in vitro
and
in humans.
Source: Atherosclerosis
Published online, 13 August 2009,
"Independent inverse relationship between serum lycopene
concentration and arterial stiffness"
Interested in Learning More About
Healthier Blood Vessels?
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