Slash Your Risk of Heart Disease

In All Health Watch, Blood Pressure, Featured Article, Heart and Cardiovascular, Heart Disease

Brand new research shows that one common fruit can lower “bad” LDL cholesterol and blood pressure.

That research comes from Dr. Steven F. Bolling. He’s a trained heart surgeon who’s internationally recognized for his expertise in heart valve abnormalities. During his career he’s published more than 217 journal articles on the topic. He currently runs the research lab for the National Institutes of Health. He leads the Department of Heart Surgery at the University of Michigan. He says his new study shows that one simple fruit slashes your risk of heart disease.

Bad cholesterol and high blood pressure are two big factors in heart disease. After years of research, Dr. Bolling became convinced that diet alone could reduce both.

So he began looking into what foods – or extracts – could cut these factors. He eventually touched on one fruit in particular… one already known for a wide array of health benefits.

Dr. Bolling put his theory to the test. He split rats that are especially prone to obesity into two groups. He fed one group a high-fat diet. The other received a low-fat diet. Both groups got a powdered version of the fruit he was testing.

He studied the rats for three months. After that time, both groups had lower cholesterol and triglycerides.

Dr. Bolling says this study is exciting because he picked the rats for a reason. Why? Because they have body types similar to Americans on a high fat diet.

“The benefits of eating fruits have been well-researched,” says Dr. Bolling. But he says one specific fruit can fight heart disease.

“Our findings show a naturally occurring chemical [that combats] these health conditions,” says Dr. Bolling.

Dr. Bolling’s research is gaining support from his peers. It’s been reviewed by Dr. Elizabeth Klodas, a heart specialist in Minneapolis. She directs the Cardiac Prevention Program at General Mills. And she’s convinced his research offers hope for heart health.

That’s because she’s also been conducting similar research. She’s taken the same fruit and tested its effects on heart health. And while both studies are independent… their findings support one another.

Her study has just been published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Her research followed the dietary habits of 150,000 adults over 14 years. She found that those who ate this fruit on a weekly basis had significantly fewer heart-related incidents.

So just what is this wonder fruit? You can find in in your local grocery store. And it was already considered a super food – before its heart benefits came to light.

We’ll tell you what it is in Friday’s edition. We’ll also explain the science behind it… and how it lowers your heart risk.

To your health,
Ian's signature
Ian Robinson,
Managing Editor,
NHD “Health Watch”