01-21-2008, 12:51 PM
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Lecturer
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Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Propecia, CA
Posts: 1,852
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Carotenoids May Reduce Heart-Risk
Quote:
Increased carotene intake associated with reduced cardiovascular mortality
 The February, 2008 issue of the Journal of Nutrition published the results of a study conducted by researchers at Wageningen University in The Netherlands which found a reduction in deaths caused by cardiovascular disease over a 15 year period among older men with a high intake of alpha and beta-carotene.
The researchers utilized data from 559 participants in the Zutphen Elderly Study, a prospective cohort study conducted in the Netherlands. Men participating in the study were an average of 72 years old upon enrollment, and were followed for 15 years. Subjects included in the current analysis were free of cardiovascular disease, diabetes and cancer at the beginning of the study. Information on dietary intake collected in 1985, 1990, and 1995 was analyzed for intake levels of carotenoids, vitamin C, tocopherols, and other nutrients.
At the end of the follow-up period, there were 89 deaths from ischemic heart disease, 52 deaths from stroke, and 56 from other cardiovascular causes. The researchers found a reduction in cardiovascular deaths associated with alpha-carotene and beta-carotene, as well as for carrots, an abundant source of these nutrients. There were no associations found between death from cardiovascular disease and any of the other nutrients analyzed.
In their discussion of the findings, the authors remark that both alpha and beta-carotene are important antioxidants, and that lipoprotein oxidation caused by reactive nitrogen species within the arterial wall may preferentially deplete these carotenes and other fat-soluble antioxidants, resulting in increased susceptibility of lipoprotein to oxidation when intake of the carotenes are low.
Circulating carotenoids have also been shown to be associated with a reduction in inflammation and improved endothelial function. "More observational studies on the intake of individual carotenoids and their specific sources, as well as foods correlated with their intake, in relation to cardiovascular disease are warranted," the authors conclude.
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https://www.lef.org/whatshot/2008_01....ular-mortality
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