One of the leading health problems in western countries, especially in the United States, is high cholesterol levels. The primary root of this issue traces to the excessive production of processed foods and other types of sustenance that contain a lot of saturated fat. Logically, high cholesterol can be cut off if individuals manage and refrain from consuming fatty foods.
Eliminating bad foods from one's diet can help one evade many health risks. According to a new study, a 'superfood' was found to have properties that rapidly decrease the impact of cholesterol in the human body.
Grapes vs. Saturated Fat and High Cholesterol
Saturated fat is the common enemy of patients experiencing high cholesterols levels in their system. There had been many challenges regarding the right and most potential solution to treat high cholesterols by minimizing the saturated fat content in numerous studies. In addition, it was discovered that an estimated 1000 trillion bacteria in the human guts could yield to the influence related to saturated fat.
The new research found that alongside treatment methods, a natural solution is indeed effective against high cholesterol. Although fruits and vegetables were an obvious choice against many health problems, decreasing saturated fats by eating seed-bearing foods lacked information.
The main interest of the research is the basic grapes we see on the market. The experts observed that the often-overlooked fruit is a superfood, as it has properties that are gut-friendly and has the right amount of force to cut-off excessive cholesterols of a patient in just four weeks.
University of California's Center for Human Nutrition expert and lead author of the study Zhaoping Li said in a report by Express that their team identified grapes with significant benefits on the gut microbiomes.
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Benefits of Eating Grapes to Heart and Gut
Li explained that their findings allow the medical and health community to contribute knowledge about the widescale advantages hidden in grapes. Moreover, the recent study also relates to heart health, as lowering cholesterol levels impacts the cardiovascular system significantly.
Polyphenols are one of the best contents embedded in grapes. This plant chemical is an active anti-inflammatory agent that is also found to be effective when utilized by humans. Alongside polyphenols, fibers are also prominent in the seed-bearing fruit, allowing grapes to be a rich source of protection against the risks of high cholesterol or hypercholesterolemia.
The study was made possible through the help of 19 healthy participants. Throughout a 4-week examination, the subjects were required to include a low-polyphenol and low-fiber diet. After the first set of observations, the same participants were also examined as they had 46 grams of powdered grapes on their daily diet for another four weeks.
Each participant showed a rich amount of a bacteria called Ajjermansia, which improves lipid and glucose metabolism, alongside the fortification of lining in their intestinal organs. They also had 8 percent fewer bad cholesterol levels and a 40 percent cut in cholesterol-inducing bile acids by 40 percent. The study was published in the journal Nutrients, titled "Effect of Standardized Grape Powder Consumption on the Gut Microbiome of Healthy Subjects: A Pilot Study."
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