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Gut Bacteria and Flavonoid-Rich Foods Are Linked and Improve Blood Pressure Levels

AHA Publisher — Tue, 24 Aug 2021 07:00:10 +0000

American Heart Association (AHA) via Newswise – Flavonoid-rich foods, including berries, apples, pears and wine, appear to have a positive effect on blood pressure levels, an association that is partially explained by characteristics of the gut microbiome, according to new research published today in Hypertension, an American Heart Association journal. “Our gut microbiome plays a key role in metabolizing flavonoids to enhance their cardioprotective effects, and this study provides evidence to suggest these blood pressure-lowering effects are achievable with simple changes to the daily diet,” said lead investigator of the study Aedín Cassidy, Ph.D., chair and professor in nutrition and preventive medicine at the Institute for Global Food Security at Queen’s University in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Flavonoids are compounds found naturally in fruits, vegetables and plant-based foods such as tea, chocolate and wine, and have been shown in previous research to offer a variety of health benefits to the body. Flavonoids are broken down by the body’s gut microbiome—the bacteria found in the digestive tract. Recent studies found a link between gut microbiota, the microorganisms in the human digestive tract, and cardiovascular disease (CVD), which is the leading cause of death worldwide. Gut microbiota is highly variable between individuals, and there are reported differences in gut microbial compositions among people with and without CVD. With increased research suggesting flavonoids may reduce heart disease risk, this study assessed the role of the gut microbiome on the process. Researchers examined the association between eating flavonoid-rich foods with blood pressure and gut microbiome diversity. The study also investigated how much variance within the gut microbiome could explain the association between intake of flavonoid-rich foods and blood pressure. A group of 904 adults between the ages of 25 and 82, 57% men from Germany’s PopGen biobank were recruited for this study. (The PopGen biobank includes participants from a network of seven biobanks in Northern Germany.) Researchers evaluated the participants’ food intake, gut microbiome and blood pressure levels together with other clinical and molecular phenotyping at regular follow-up examinations. Participants’ intake of flavonoid-rich foods during the previous year was calculated from a self-reported food questionnaire detailing the frequency and quantity eaten of 112 foods. Flavonoid values were assigned to foods according to United States Department of Agriculture data on flavonoid content in food. Gut microbiome for participants was assessed by fecal bacterial DNA extracted from stool samples. After an overnight fast, participants’ blood pressure levels were measured three times in three-minute intervals after an initial five-minute rest period. Researchers also collected participants’ lifestyle information, including sex, age, smoking status, medication use and physical activity, as well as family history of coronary artery disease, the number of daily calories and fiber consumed, and each participant’s height and weight was measured to calculate BMI (body mass index). The analysis of regular flavonoid intake with gut microbiome and blood pressure levels found: Study participants who had the highest intake of flavonoid-rich foods, including berries, red wine, apples and pears, had lower systolic blood pressure levels, as well as greater diversity in their gut microbiome than the participants who consumed the lowest levels of flavonoid-rich foods. Up to 15.2% of the association between flavonoid-rich foods and systolic blood pressure could be explained by the diversity found in participants’ gut microbiome. Eating 1.6 servings of berries per day (one serving equals 80 grams, or 1 cup) was associated with an average reduction in systolic blood pressure levels of 4.1 mm Hg, and about 12% of the association was explained by gut microbiome factors. Drinking 2.8 glasses (125 ml of wine per glass) of red wine a week was associated with an average of 3.7 mm Hg lower systolic blood pressure level, of which 15% could be explained by the gut microbiome. “Our findings indicate future trials should look at participants according to metabolic profile in order to more accurately study the roles of metabolism and the gut microbiome in regulating the effects of flavonoids on blood pressure,” said Cassidy. “A better understanding of the highly individual variability of flavonoid metabolism could very well explain why some people have greater cardiovascular protection benefits from flavonoid-rich foods than others.” While this study suggests potential benefits to consuming red wine, the American Heart Association suggests that if you don’t drink alcohol already, you shouldn’t start. If you do drink, talk with your doctor about the benefits and risks of consuming alcohol in moderation. According to a statement on dietary health by the American Heart Association, alcohol intake can be a component of a healthy diet if consumed in moderation (no more than one alcoholic drink per day for women and 2 alcohol drinks per day for men) and only by nonpregnant women and adults when there is no risk to existing health conditions, medication-alcohol interaction, or personal safety and work situations. The authors note that participants for the study were from the general population, and the participants were unaware of the hypothesis. However, residual or unmeasured confounding factors (such as other health conditions or genetics) can lead to bias, thus these findings cannot prove a direct cause and effect, although the researchers did conduct a detailed adjustment in their analyses for a wide range of diet and lifestyle factors. The authors noted the focus of this study was on specific foods rich in flavonoids, not all food and beverages with flavonoids. To read the original article click here.

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What Happens If You Have Red Wine or Avocados with a Meal?

AHA Publisher — Mon, 27 Jul 2020 07:00:23 +0000

Michael Greger M.D. FACLM via Nutrition Facts – Whole plant sources of sugar and fat can ameliorate some of the postprandial (after meal) inflammation caused by the consumption of refined carbohydrates and meat. Studies have shown how adding even steamed skinless chicken breast can exacerbate the insulin spike from white rice, but fish may be worse. At 0:18 in my video The Effects of Avocados and Red Wine on Meal-Induced Inflammation, you can see how the insulin scores of a low-carbohydrate plant food, peanuts, is lower compared to common low-carb animal foods—eggs, cheese, and beef. Fish was even worse, with an insulin score closer to doughnut territory. At 0:36 in my video, you can see the insulin spike when people are fed mashed white potatoes. What do you think happens when they’re also given tuna fish? Twice the insulin spike. The same is seen with white flour spaghetti versus white flour spaghetti with meat. The addition of animal protein may make the pancreas work twice as hard. You can do it with straight sugar water, too. If you perform a glucose challenge to test for diabetes, drinking a certain amount of sugar, at 1:10 in my video, you can see the kind of spike in insulin you get. But, if you take in the exact same amount of sugar but with some meat added, you get a higher spike. And, as you can see at 1:25 in my video, the more meat you add, the worse it gets. Just adding a little meat to carbs doesn’t seem to do much, but once you get up to around a third of a chicken’s breast worth, you can elicit a significantly increased surge of insulin. So, a chicken sandwich may aggravate the metabolic harm of the refined carb white bread it’s on, but what about a PB&J? At 1:49 in my video, you can see that adding nuts to Wonder Bread actually calms the insulin and blood sugar response. What if, instead of nuts, you smeared on an all fruit strawberry jam? Berries, which have even more antioxidants than nuts, can squelch the oxidation of cholesterol in response to a typical American breakfast and even reduce the amount of fat in your blood after the meal. And, with less oxidation, there is less inflammation when berries are added to a meal. So, a whole plant food source of sugar can decrease inflammation in response to an “inflammatory stressor” meal, but what about a whole plant food source of fat? As you can see at 2:38 in my video, within hours of eating a burger topped with half an avocado, the level of an inflammatory biomarker goes up in your blood, but not as high as eating the burger without the avocado. This may be because all whole plant foods contain antioxidants, which decrease inflammation, and also contain fiber, which is one reason even high fat whole plant foods like nuts can lower cholesterol. And, the same could be said for avocados. At 3:12 in my video, you can see avocado causing a significant drop in cholesterol levels, especially in those with high cholesterol, with even a drop in triglycerides. If eating berries with a meal decreases inflammation, what about drinking berries? Sipping wine with your white bread significantly blunts the blood sugar spike from the bread, but the alcohol increases the fat in the blood by about the same amount. As you can see at 3:40 in my video, you’ll get a triglycerides bump when you eat some cheese and crackers, but if you sip some wine with the same snack, triglycerides shoot through the roof. How do we know it was the alcohol? Because if you use dealcoholized red wine, the same wine but with the alcohol removed, you don’t get the same reaction. This has been shownin about a half dozen other studies, along with an increase in inflammatory markers. So, the dealcoholized red wine helps in some ways but not others. A similar paradoxical effect was found with exercise. If people cycle at high intensity for about an hour a half-day before drinking a milkshake, the triglycerides response is less than without the prior exercise, yet the inflammatory response to the meal appeared worse, as you can see at 4:18 in my video. The bottom line is not to avoid exercise but to avoid milkshakes. The healthiest approach is a whole food, plant-based diet, but there are “promising pharmacologic approaches to the normalization” of high blood sugars and fat by taking medications. “However, resorting to drug therapy for an epidemic caused by a maladaptive diet is less rational than simply realigning our eating habits with our physiological needs.” Protein from meat can cause more of an insulin spike than pure table sugar. See the comparisons in my video Paleo Diets May Negate Benefits of Exercise. Interested in more information on the almond butter study I mentioned? I discuss it further in How to Prevent Blood Sugar and Triglyceride Spikes After Meals. Berries have their own sugar, so how can eating berries lower the blood sugar spike after a meal? Find out in If Fructose Is Bad, What About Fruit? To read the original article click here. For more articles from Dr. Greger click here.

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Best 6 Types of Cancer-Fighting Drinks

AHA Publisher — Tue, 12 Nov 2019 08:00:35 +0000

Jillian Levy, CHHC via Dr. Axe – Ask any expert, “What are the best ways to fight cancer?”, and you’ll likely be told advice such as to eat a healthy diet, exercise and avoid smoking. You’re probably aware of the protective effects that certain cancer-fighting foods, such leafy greens and berries for examples, can have on your immune system and overall health. Here’s more good news: Some of the most widely consumed beverages in the world have also been shown to be cancer-fighting drinks. Organizations like the American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR) recommend including drinks in your diet that provide vitamins and phytonutrients that have demonstrated anti-cancer effects. What are some examples? Coffee, green tea, red wine, and 100 percent vegetable and fruit juices are among the best choices. 6 Drinks that Fight Cancer What can you drink to prevent cancer? According to the latest research findings, beverages that should be included in a cancer-fighting diet include: 1. Coffee While the caffeine is coffee isn’t well-tolerated by some people, nutrition-rich coffee is also a concentrated source of antioxidant phytochemicals. These include theophylline and theobromine, chlorogenic acid (a powerful phenol), quinic acid, cafestol and kahweol. Certain studies have linked coffee consumption with reduced risk of liver, colorectal, endometrial, oral/pharyngeal and other cancers. And although some worry about the negative effects of caffeine/coffee on digestive health, there’s overall no evidence suggesting an association of coffee intake with cancers of the stomach, pancreas or GI cancers. 2. Green, Black and White Teas Black, green, white and also oolong teas (sometimes called “true teas”) are rich in many disease-fighting nutrients, such as catechins, polyphenol compounds, epigallocatechin gallate (or EGCG), flavonols and more. Researchers believe this to be the reason that long-term tea consumption is linked with lower risks for bladder, stomach and pancreatic cancers, among other types. Green tea is an exceptional source of EGCG, while other teas also provide epicatechin, epigallocatechin (EGC) and epicatechin-3-gallate (ECG). An article published in Cancer Metastasis Reviews states that “epidemiological studies have reported that the consumption of green tea may decrease cancer risk. Epigallocatechin-3-gallate, a major component of green tea, has been shown to inhibit tumor invasion and angiogenesis which are essential for tumor growth and metastasis.” Matcha green tea (whole green tea leaf that is stone ground) is another great option, since it’s rich in antioxidants that give it the ability to support the immune system. Lab studies have linked both types of green teas with reduced development of cancer in colon, liver, breast, lung and prostate cells. High amounts of polyphenols have also been identified in black tea and oolong tea. Flavonols including quercetin, kaempferol and myricetin are other compounds in true teas that help fight cancer. A 2018 article published in AntiCancer Research states that “Oolong tea, same as green tea, can induce DNA damage and cleavage, play an inhibitory role in breast cancer cell growth, proliferation and tumorigenesis, and was a great potential as a chemo-preventive agent against breast cancer.” 3. 100 Percent Vegetable Juices Having a daily serving of green vegetable juice, or another veggie juice/smoothie with pulp and fiber, is an easy way to boost your nutrient intake and help ward off chronic diseases, according to many studies. Good choices include freshly-pressed juices made with greens like spinach or kale, carrots, beets, tomatoes, celery, herbs and other vegetables. A large body of research shows that including a variety of vegetables in your diet can helps to lower the risk for many cancers, not to mention other chronic diseases. For example, juices made with dark greens provide you with antioxidants, such as carotenoids, which studies link with inhibited growth of a variety of cancer cells, including skin, lung, stomach and breast cancer. Tomato juice is another beneficial juice, as it’s a great source of beta carotene/vitamin A, vitamin C, lycopene and other carotenoids that have anti-cancer effects. Lycopene in tomato juice has been linked with protection against prostate cancer. Carrot juice is an excellent way to get more vitamin C, vitamin K, beta-carotene and alpha-carotene, luteolin, and flavonoid phytochemicals that have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. If you’re willing to branch out from commonly eaten vegetables, consider adding superfood supplements to your veggie juices/smoothies such as spirulina, barley greens, wheatgrass or algae powders. When pulp is included, juices may be even more beneficial thanks to the fiber content, especially for colorectal health. 4. 100 Percent Fruit Juices (No Sugar-Added, In Small Quantities) Examples of healthy juices include those made from anti-cancer fruits such as cherries, blueberries, pomegranate, oranges, grapefruit and acai. Consuming juices made from dark-colored fruits such as berries is a powerful way to get more resveratrol and anthocyanins into your diet, which have strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Grapefruit juice is another example that contains many phytochemicals that help defend against cancer according to research studies, such as naringenin and other flavonoids, limonin, beta-carotene, lycopene and vitamin C. Pomegranate juice provides polyphenols that have shown to have antiproliferative, pro-apoptotic and anti-inflammatory effects, offering protection against prostate, lung, breast and other cancers. Research findings tell us that it’s important for fruit juices to be 100 percent fruit with no sugar added and no high fructose corn syrup, since high sugar consumption has been linked with increased risk for cancer and many other health problems. 5. Herbal Teas and Infusions The use of herbal remedies, which come in many forms, is considered “by far the most commonly used group of alternative treatments among cancer patients,” according to certain literature reviews. Various herbs, whether in tea or extract form, have been shown to offer therapeutic effects on cancer markers, plus they are considered safe, unlikely to cause side effects or dependency, and widely available. Herbal teas — which include ginger, chamomile, honeybush, dandelion, peppermint, chai, and a variety of Traditional Chinese medicine herbal blends — are caffeine-free and full of benefits, including supporting gut health and reducing inflammation. Herbal infusions are another great option, which are made by steeping herbs in water until the water absorbs the herb’s oils and therapeutic compounds. A 2019 review explains that herbal teas and infusions are made with herbs that may help offer protection against oxidative stress, certain types of cancers, and also digestive issues that can be caused by chronic illnesses and cancer treatments. According to a 2018 article published in the Journal of Traditional and Complementary Medicine, “Herbal teas/beverages are rich sources of natural bioactive compounds such as carotenoids, phenolic acids, flavonoids, coumarins, alkaloids, terpenoids, among others.” These bioactive compounds have biological effects, such as antioxidant, antibacterial, antiviral and anti-inflammatory actions. These teas are also made with water, which has far-reaching benefits of its own. Water is important for overall health because it increases urination and detoxification of potential cancer-causing compounds that can wind up in the bladder and elsewhere. 6. Red Wine (In Moderation) Red grapes and red wine are filled with cancer-fighting compounds called resveratrol. Studies suggest that chemicals found in wine can contribute to destruction of cancer cells and inhibition of cancer-cell growth. According to one study published in the European Journal of Cancer Prevention, “There is evidence that wine consumption decreases the risk of cancer at several sites, including cancer of upper digestive tract, lung, colon, basal cell carcinoma, and non-Hodgkin lymphoma.” Red wine also seems to significantly reduce transcription of certain genes that increase cancer risk. The effects of mature, red wine on cancer cell phenotypes have been shown to be stronger than young, wine wines. Red wine seems to be especially beneficial for combatting colony formation of human breast cancer and esophageal carcinoma cells. However, keep in mind that research shows these positive effects on different human cancer lines occur in a dose-dependent manner, which seems too much alcohol may actually increase your cancer risk (more on this below). Dosage How much of these cancer-fighting drinks do you need to consume to reap their benefits? In terms of consumption and frequency, this depends on the type of drink. Here are some general guidelines according to most health experts: • Coffee: 1–2 cups may be best, however for most people up to 3 to 5 cups per day likely won’t lead to any negative effects. • Tea: several cups per day, or even more if the tea is herbal and uncaffeinated. • Vegetable juices: between 4 to 8 ounces daily. • Fruit juices: too much juice can be an extra source of sugar and calories, so small amounts are best, between 4 to 8 ounces daily for adults. Some experts recommend up to 8–12 ounces of veggie/fruit juices daily for children and teens between ages 7 to 18. • Wine: 1 to 2 drinks per day at most (2 or less is recommended for adult men, and 1 or less for women). If You Already Have Cancer What is good for cancer patients to drink? Doctors recommend these health-boosting beverages, which can help with hydration and provide key nutrients: • Water. Some cancer treatments may make plain water taste unappealing; in this case, drink more water that’s flavored including mineral water, seltzer or water with lemon or other fruit. • 100% fruit or vegetable juices, which can help prevent dehydration, plus provide electrolytes and antioxidants. • Coconut water or milk, a hydrating beverage with medium-chain triglycerides, a type of beneficial fatty acid that can help support gut health. Coconut milk (higher in fat) also contains some bacteria-fighting, antioxidant properties that support the immune system. • Herbal teas such as ginger tea or peppermint teas, which can help with nausea and other symptoms caused by treatments. • Kefir and organic milk (if tolerated), which provide many important vitamins and minerals, plus probiotics if fermented. • Bone broth, a unique source of difficult-to-get amino acids, collagen, trace minerals and electrolytes. If lack of appetite is an issue, try drinking most liquids at least a half-hour before or after meals to keep from feeling too full. Keep in mind that caffeine, sugary drinks and even sometimes fruit juices my lead to indigestion, so it might be necessary to limit these if diarrhea or nausea occur. Risks and Side Effects Just like there are some beverages and foods that can help to fight disease development, research tells us there are also potentially cancer-causing foods to avoid. Which drinks should you limit or ideally cut out from your diet? • Sugary drinks, including soda, energy drinks and juices, teas and coffee drinks with added sugar. Research has revealed a strong link between sugary drink consumption and risk for heart disease, obesity and diabetes, and now ongoing research is suggesting that these beverages can also put you at greater risk for certain cancers such as breast, pancreas, gallbladder and endometrial cancer. It’s believed this connection is due to mechanisms such as insulin resistance caused by consumption of a high glycemic load, as well as the effects of chemical compounds, additives and pesticides in sugary drinks which may have carcinogenic effects. • Alcohol in excess. While wine in moderation have protective effects against certain diseases, too much seems to do the opposite. High alcohol intake increases the risk of certain types of cancer development according to research studies, including colon/rectum, oral, liver, breast and other cancers. Final Thoughts • There’s evidence that as part of a healthy diet, certain drinks and foods can help stop cancer from forming or progressing. • Cancer-fighting drinks are those that provide important vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and phytochemicals, in addition to hydrating water and in some cases probiotics. • What are the best choices? Coffee, green/black/white teas, 100 percent fruit and vegetable juices, herbal teas and red wine can all support your immune system and potentially lower the risk for cancer development. To read the original article click here. For more articles from Dr. Axe click here.

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