Freeze dried Strawberries shown to dramatically reduce Cholesterol levels
Simply supplementing a few freeze-dried strawberry in your diet may improve cholesterol levels by about five per cent, no small amount when talking about cholesterol and natural treatment, this all stems form a good study overweight women.
The freeze-dried strawberry powder is a concentrated source of polyphenolic flavonoids, fibre and phytosterols, freeze dried strawberries were found to reduce total and LDL cholesterol levels by 5 and 6 per cent, respectively, according to findings published in the Nutrition Journal. Further decreases in levels of malondialdehyde were seen – this is a marker of oxidative stress – this levels registered a decrease by around 14 per cent, report researchers into the health benefits of freeze dried strawberry’s led by Arpita Basu from Oklahoma State University.
This study involved the consistent monitoring of 16 women, all of whom displayed three features of the metabolic syndrome, a condition characterised by central obesity, hypertension, and disturbed glucose and insulin metabolism and is often locked into a synergistic relationship with perceived mental and physical stress.
“This would appear to be the first study investigating the effects of freeze-dried strawberry powder supplementation on selected cardiovascular risk factors in women with metabolic syndrome,” state the researchers. “Serum cholesterol levels were lowered following four weeks of freeze-dried strawberry consumption, which suggests a need for further study to determine if this might be a potential dietary approach to lowering cholesterol levels in obese women,” they added. High cholesterol levels, hypercholesterolaemia, have a long association with many diseases, particularly cardiovascular disease (CVD), the cause of almost 50 per cent of deaths in Europe, and reported to cost the EU economy an estimated €169bn ($202bn) per year.
Study details The Oklahoma-based scientists asked the 16 women to drink two cups of a drink made from a freeze-dried strawberry powder (25 grams) every day for four weeks. In euro and the retail sector this relates to around €1 per day, a small cost for a nice tasting natural and safe aid to cholesterol management. It has been pointed out that whilst many of these subjects needed to make better food choices this was perceived as an enjoyable truly healthy and beneficial alternative junk food snacks that the subjects may choose and the same cost. As well as significant improvements in total and LDL-cholesterol levels, and malondialdehyde levels, a decreasing trend was also reported to levels of oxidized-LDL after four weeks. “The decreasing trend in oxidized-LDL in our study bears consideration and further research,” said the researchers. “Because oxidized-LDL plays a critical role in the initiation and progression of atherosclerosis, long-term supplementation of antioxidant-rich fruits, like freeze dried strawberries may be beneficial in slowing or reversing the process of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease in the obese with metabolic risk factors.”
Mechanism The researchers go on to note that the phytosterol, fibre, or phytochemical content of freeze dried strawberry’s may contribute to the benefits, all of which have been shown to lower cholesterol levels in many other studies. “Freeze-dried strawberry powder, a concentrated source of strawberry polyphenolic flavonoids, fibre, and phytosterols is a novel dietary fruit supplement marketed by selected fruit growers and special promotion groups,” it was stated that whilst. “Not enough scientific data is available on the health benefits of this product for this to be conclusive, but all the signs indicate that with no negative effects this is a very promising solution”. “Our study shows the potential role of FSP in lowering total and LDL-cholesterol, and lipid peroxidation in those with metabolic syndrome, and suggests the need for larger controlled trials,” they concluded. Freeze dried strawberry’s and in fact a number of different berries may be one part of completely natural solution to major factor in human mortality.
Source: Nutrition Journal 2009, 8:43, doi:10.1186/1475-2891-8-43"Freeze-dried strawberry powder improves lipid profile and lipid peroxidation in women with metabolic syndrome: baseline and post intervention effects"Authors: A. Basu, M. Wilkinson, K. Penugonda, B. Simmons, N.M. Betts, T.J. Lyons
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