CHERRY AND CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE
A diet
that includes tart cherries can provide cardiovascular benefits similar to the
prescribed medications and can also reduce the risk of stroke, a new research
has revealed.
A class
of drugs called PPAR agonists that help regulate fat and glucose was considered
promising by doctors who prescribed them for patients with metabolic syndrome –
a collection of risk factors linked to heart disease and type 2.
However,
studies have shown the long-term use of these drugs can also increase stroke
risk, which has prevented many from securing FDA approval.
The new
research from the U-M Cardioprotection Research Laboratory suggests that tart
cherries can reduce the risk of stroke even when taken with these
pharmaceutical options.
The
group’s previous research has shown that intake of US produced, Montmorency
tartcherries activates PPAR isoforms (peroxisome proliferator activating
receptors) in many of the body’s tissues.
Researchers
believe that anthocyanins – the pigments that give the fruit its red color –
may be responsible for PPAR activation.
PPARs
regulate genes involved in fat and glucose metabolism, and when modified can
help reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.
PPAR
agonists, among them medications such as Actos (pioglitazone), act in a similar
way but cardiovascular side effects have limited their use.
The
researchers compared the effect of tart cherries and the drug Actos in
stroke-prone rats by measuring the animals’ systolic blood pressure as well as
locomotion, balance, coordination, all of which can show the aftereffects of a
stroke.
By
putting the rats through various physical tests, such as walking on a tapered
beam and climbing a ladder, the researchers found that compared to Actos, tart
cherry intake significantly improved balance and coordination, and at the same
time lowered blood pressure.
While the
research results indicate that rats who consumed only tart cherries had the
best results, those who had the combination of tart cherries and Actos also did
better than those who only took the drug.
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