**By Anh Thu V. Tran, MS, MD – Medical Director & Nutrition Consultant, Cyvex Nutrition**

As the #1 global cause of death at 29% of all causes, an estimated  1 out of 3 American adults, equating to ~81 million, have at least one or more forms of Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) (American Heart Association CDC-DHDSP, WHO 2010 updates).  With technological advances being more effective and less invasive, along with having a more concrete understanding of such conditions, why do we still fall behind in preventing such numbers?

Indeed the answer is not simple.  What is certain, however, is that there are major elements that we can control against CVD.  Namely, diet, physical activity, and mental health are major players.  Consumption of polyphenol-rich diets alone has been associated with a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, particularly foods and beverages with high oligomeric procyanidins (OPC) and flavonoids (such as anthocyanidins).

Yet again the spotlight shines on the ever so tiny and delicate, yet packed with heart-healthy benefits: berries.  Their unique composition of carbohydrates counterbalanced by organic acids (citric, malic, phenolic acids) and enzymes (polyphenolic substrates such as phenolic acids & flavonoids), high solubility of cell wall components (pectin, cellulose, and hemicellulose), rich in pigments (anthocyanins, carotenoids, and other polyphenols), vitamins and minerals are universally recognized to accentuate their sweet flavor, enticing aroma, and healthy benefits.

From reds to blues to purple and even blackberries,  berries are rich sources of essential nutrients and phytochemicals demonstrated epidemiologically and clinically.  Heart healthy diets that include a variety of berries improve cardiovascular performance or activity in both healthy subjects and those with underlying and preexisting conditions.

High density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL) is the “good” cholesterol that works against cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) in its facilitation of low-density-lipoprotein (LDL) and triglycerides (“bad” cholesterol and blood fat respectively).  The latter being the culprit to cardiovascular insults.  In a recent single-blinded, randomized, placebo-controlled intervention trial, middle aged healthy and un-medicated subjects consumed a moderate amount of berries against a control product.  Moderate consumption demonstrated favorable modulation in platelet function, HDL-cholesterol and blood pressure.  Of all the nutritional biomarkers, it was that of vitamin C and polyphenols in berries that made the most impact (Erlund I et al., 2008).  Clinical correlations as such were also found in those with poor cardiovascular profiles.

In a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial of dyslipidemic adults, participants consumed either 160gm berry-derived anthocyanin supplements versus a placebo.  There was a statistically significant increase of HDL-cholesterol and decrease in mass and activity of plasma CETP, decreasing insults from LDL-cholesterol and triglycerides (p<0.001) (Qin et al 2009).  The proposed mechanisms of actions are as follows: (1) Upregulation of endothelial nitric oxide synthase, (2) decreased activities of carbohydrate digestive enzymes & oxidative stress, and (3) inhibition of inflammatory gene expression and foam cell formation.

Served fresh, juiced, freeze-dried and/or as purified extract such as anthocyanins, anyway you like it – the blackberry, black currant, blueberry, cranberry, escobillo, lingonberry, strawberry to name a few not only nourish the taste buds, but also the heart.

References:

Basy A et al, “Berries: Emerging impact on cardiovascular health,” Nutr Rev, 2010; 68:168-77

Erlund I et al., “Favorable effects of berry consumption on platelet function, blood pressure, and HDL cholesterol,” Am J Clin Nutr, 2008; 87:323-31.

Seeram Np, “Recent trends and advances in berry health benefits research,” J Agric Food Chem, 2010; 58:3869-70

Qin Y et al., “Anthocyanin supplementation improves serum LDL- and HDL-cholesterol concentrations associated with the inhibition of cholesteryl ester transfer protein in dyslipidemic subjects,” Am J Clin Nutr, 2009; 90:485-492.

Author’s bio: Dr. Anh Thu V. Tran is the Medical Director & Nutrition Consultant for Cyvex Nutrition, PGY-1 Resident with  UC Davis Family Medicine Residency Network, and Founder of Strive to Live Well.  She holds a M.D. from St. George’s University, a M.S. in Nutrition from Loma Linda University, and a B.Sc. in Biology & Women’s Studies from UC Irvine.

**Note: We’re excited to announce that Anh Thu, now our Medical Director and Nutrition Consultant, will be a regular contributor on our blog! **

You can hardly escape the notion in the news, politics, fashion, and even technology: To Go Green.  Organic foods, energy efficient transportation and products, recycling, etc. are all great, but the overload of messages for the concept: To Go Green has become ubiquitous.  To truly embrace a greener lifestyle is not just about preserving equatorial rain forests and doing as much as we can To Go Green, but also to improve and maintain health and ultimately overall quality of life.

“Eat your greens,” was all too familiar as a child as we repeat it to our children without hesitation. “Why?”… “Because it’s good for you.”… “But how?”…

What makes vegetables and some fruits have such a rich green color is a pigmentation called chlorophyll.  Its chemical make-up is similar to human blood cells, only differing in the center element (magnesium in chlorophyll and iron in human blood cells).  Chlorophyll can be found in a semi-synthetic form, Chlorophyllin, where sodium copper replaces magnesium.  This powerful pigment absorbs sunlight and with carbon dioxide and water converts into usable energy for the plant to thrive. This process, and its wonders, provides us reasons to eat your greens, to get our macromolecules (which include carbohydrates, proteins and fats), vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals (xanthophylls and flavonoids).  High chlorophyll foods neutralize free radicals that cause damage to cells, as comparable to Vitamin C, subsequently improving growth and repair of tissue and cleansing the body’s system.

Among the many sources, alfalfa not only provides as such, but also provides protein (including essential amino acids), vitamins, and minerals and 50 years of clinical use demonstrated safety.  As a whole plant extract Alfapro™ Alfalfa Juice Protein Concentrate provides all that mentioned above and Alfalfa 95% Sodium Copper Chlorophyllin provides the pure compound, more stable and more water soluble to improve bioavailability.

Finding the balance between the preservation of where and how we live is a more complete and worthy notion: To Go Green.

References:

“Evaluation of certain food additives,” WHO Tech Rep Ser, 2009; 952:1-208.

Kumar SS et al, “Scavenging of reactive oxygen species by chlorophyllin: an ESR study,” Free Rad Res, 2001;35: 563-574.

Kamat JP et al., “Chlorophyllin as an effective antioxidant against membrane damage in vitro and ex vivo,” Biochim Biophys Acta, 2000; 1487:113-127.

Yu JW et al., “Differential cytoprotective effect of copper- and iron- containing chlorophyllins against oxidative stress-mediated cell death,” Free Rad Res, 2010; 44:655-67

Author’s bio: Dr. Anh Thu Tran is the Medical Director and Nutrition Consultant for Cyvex Nutrition.  She holds a M.D. from St. George’s University, a M.S. in Nutrition from Loma Linda University, a B.Sc. in Biology & Women’s Studies from UC Irvine, and will work under the UC Davis Family Residency Network 2010.

For centuries, people have totally delighted in eating dark chocolate (made from cocoa, from the cacao tree). Not too long ago, chocolate was a “no no” for restricted diets, somewhat based on the prevailing belief that if it tastes good it’s bad for you!

Specifically, cocoa contains polyphenols called flavonoids. The flavonoids found in cocoa are flavanols known as flavan-3-ol and proanthocyanidins, among other healthy compounds like epicatechin, quercetin and glycosides. These are all specific antioxidants that work in the body in targeted ways.

According to chocolate industry expert Leah Porter, Ph.D., studies analyzing cocoa have evolved rather rapidly from the stage of identifying its active phytochemicals as described above to researching how they impact specific health conditions affecting the breast, heart, and respiratory system to name several.

It’s no surprise that in recent years, cocoa has earned exalted status because of research demonstrating health benefit. Cocoa (which chocolate is derived from) contains antioxidants known as flavonoids. A recent study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition has shown that cocoa containing 495 mg of naturally occurring polyphenols helped reduce levels of inflammatory markers that are known contributors to the development of atherosclerosis.

And eating good-quality dark chocolate AND taking a cocoa-antioxidant supplement is the best way to obtain antioxidant health benefits.

You may have wondered, “just what us a ‘superfruit?” and “what gives it its super powers?”

A “superfruit” is a fruit that is combined with rich nutrients and high antioxidant power.  Fruits naturally grow their own antioxidants as protective mechanisms for their particular climate and environment.  Those that grow in tropical locales tend to have higher concentrates of antioxidants due to natural assaults found in hot, humid ecosystems that also contain high numbers of insects and bacteria – all things the fruit needs to protect itself from.

You may have heard about noni and acai, two very popular supplements sold by retailers.  They are nutritious for supplementing, as powerful antioxidants flooding the body with natural phytochemicals that help keep you healthy!  Acai is packed with amino acids, essential fatty acids and antioxidants, as well as trace minerals and phytosterols. Noni offers you lignans, polysaccharides, beta-sitosterol and catechin, and other antioxidant compounds.

Mangosteen is often sold as a juice blend. It is uniquely abundant in xanthones, a type of strong antioxidant. Xanthones also have been shown to have other benefits such as anti-inflammatory properties. Mangosteen also has polysaccharides, sterols, catechins and proanthocyanidins, the last two being very strong antioxidants.

Pomegranate is also more widely known and consumed today for its antioxidant benefits.   Pomegranates contain ellagitannins, such as punicalagins, which are powerful antioxidant polyphenolic compounds.

It is easy to see how blending all these superfruits is wholesome for good health.  Our proprietary product, PhytoTropic™, features concentrates of all four superfruits as a powerful antioxidant ingredient.

It appears that almost every week, some newspaper or TV show decides to wield a popular scare tactic trying to sway consumers to become skeptical about using dietary supplements. And this negativism isn’t just in the U.S. In April 2009, Professor Regan’s Diet Clinic, a TV program on the BBC2’s Horizon series, overarchingly told viewers that supplements are not necessary if you eat a balanced diet.

Well, perhaps in theory this may make some sense. But … how many people really eat a balanced diet? And of those, how many perfectly manage stress (preventing stress from creating free radicals), do not drink alcohol or smoke cigarettes, drink no caffeine, and who exercise regularly?

Dietary supplements are … just that. They are nutrients in convenient forms (pills, beverages, powders for shakes) that fill in the gaps and in many cases, give us more optimal doses of compounds for our bodies.

However, more and more experts are proponents of consuming quality, researched dietary supplements. As a great example, more than 80% of registered dietitians who took part in a survey said they consider most Americans have gaps in their diets that can be filled with vitamins and other dietary supplements.

The research, from the “Life…supplemented” 2009 Healthcare Professionals (HCP) Impact Study, also showed that 76 percent said that supplements can address their own diet gaps, and, 96 percent stated they take supplements with 87 percent recommending dietary supplements to their clients.

Beyond this, more and more studies are being conducted on nutraceuticals and human health. Science appears to be determined to discover exactly how naturally occurring chemicals influence and impact a variety of processes in the human body and in certain states of disease.

Our lives are busier than ever and most of us do not have the time to ensure we eat daily diets abundant in vitamins and minerals which will benefit us in the long-term. Dietary supplements are the perfect solutions to top off our bodies’ empty or partially filled tanks, keeping us moving for the long journey!

For more information about the Healthcare Professionals Impact Study, visit www.lifesupplemented.org