healthbriefs
Coconut Oil Manages Cholesterol, Shrinks Waistlines R
educed physical activity and increased consumption of carbohydrates and saturated fats fuel increased rates of obesity, cardiovascular disease and insulin resistance, plus abnormal lipid content in the blood. Although coconut oil is a saturated fat, its chemical composition appears to prevent it from generating nega- tive effects on lipid profiles, according to a growing body of research. In an earlier study published in Lipids, women that exhibited abdominal obesity consumed supplements of either coconut oil or soybean oil. Throughout the 12-week trial, both groups followed the same weight-loss diet. At the end, the coconut oil group presented a higher level of high-density lipoprotein (HDL), or protective cholesterol, and smaller waistlines, while the soybean oil group showed lower HDL levels and an increase in total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) plus a less desirable LDL-to-HDL ratio. In a later study published in the Asia Pacific Journal of Clinical Nutrition, consumption of coconut oil was again associated with a beneficial lipid profile in pre-menopausal women. Researchers that conducted a concurrent pilot study with male and female subjects found that men also expe- rienced shrinking waistlines when supplementing with coconut oil. They explain that coconut oil contains mainly medium-chain fatty acids, which rapidly convert into energy, thereby circumvent- ing the cycle that makes cholesterol and stores fat (Pharmacology).
A
LEGUMES IMPROVE BLOOD SUGAR, BLOOD PRESSURE
cup of beans a day may keep the doctor away. In a randomized trial published in the Archives of Internal
Medicine of 121 participants diagnosed with diabetes melli- tus, daily consumption of approximately one cup of legumes (peas and beans) was found to improve glycemic control and reduce systolic blood pressure and heart rate, thereby reducing participants’ calculated risk score for coronary heart disease (CHD). Body weight, waist circumference and fasting blood glucose and triglyceride
levels also decreased on the legume diet. Legumes appear to make dietary carbohy- drates digest more slowly and with a lower glycemic index, which has been associ- ated with reduced hypertension and fewer CHD events in pre-diabetic individuals.
Chemicals Harm Pets, Too T
he nationwide health epidemic of chronic diseases afflicting the human population is also showing up among companion animals. Accord- ing to a report by the Environmental Working Group, pets, like a canary in a coal mine, may be the environmen- tal sentinels that are now signaling a clear connection between disease and manmade chemicals. In a study that analyzed blood samples of dogs and cats, 48 of 70 industrial chemicals and pollutants were traced, many recording levels that were substantially higher than previously reported in national studies of humans. Dogs displayed double the concentration of perfluorochemicals (used in stain-proof and grease-proof coatings); cats evidenced 23 times the concentration of polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) fire retardants and 5.4 times the amount of mercury. PBDE levels in hyperthyroid cats have been linked to eating canned cat food and to the increased use of PBDEs in consumer products during the past 30 years. In humans, high levels of flame- retardant chemicals are implicated in endocrine disruption, Type 2 diabetes and thyroid disease.
Suggestions for minimizing
exposure include avoiding chemical- laden household cleaners, furnishings and carpet; drinking carbon-filtered water; steering clear of food and bever- age containers made from or lined with plastic (including cans); and eating organic produce and free-range meat.
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Collier/Lee Counties
swfl.NaturalAwakeningsMag.com
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