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A study shows that pomegranate can protect your HDL cholesterol1. This is very important as those undergoing metabolic stress from being overweight, developing diabetes, or the metabolic syndrome often have lower levels of HDL cholesterol.
HDL cholesterol operates like a tow truck; it helps to cart off potentially damaging LDL cholesterol. While it is obvious that a low level of HDL cholesterol is problematic to cardiovascular health, it is important to understand that even a “normal” amount of HDL cholesterol does not automatically mean you have adequate protection, because your HDL cholesterol can be stressed-out and not very functional.
Researchers have focused their attention on an HDL associated enzyme called paraoxonase-1. This enzyme is needed to help HDL cholesterol break down damaged fats and damaged LDL cholesterol, thus preventing free radical chain reactions that otherwise lead to hardening of your arteries or can damage your HDL. Functional levels of paraoxonase-1 are lower in diabetic patients, putting them at higher risk for cardiovascular disease. The new study shows that pomegranate directly facilitates the healthy function of paraoxonase-1 with HDL cholesterol. This enables it to better clear the highly reactive fats that otherwise may damage HDL itself or lead to plaque accumulation in the arteries. This is one more study showing yet another mechanism by which pomegranate supports cardiovascular health.
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HDL cholesterol operates like a tow truck; it helps to cart off potentially damaging LDL cholesterol. While it is obvious that a low level of HDL cholesterol is problematic to cardiovascular health, it is important to understand that even a “normal” amount of HDL cholesterol does not automatically mean you have adequate protection, because your HDL cholesterol can be stressed-out and not very functional.
Researchers have focused their attention on an HDL associated enzyme called paraoxonase-1. This enzyme is needed to help HDL cholesterol break down damaged fats and damaged LDL cholesterol, thus preventing free radical chain reactions that otherwise lead to hardening of your arteries or can damage your HDL. Functional levels of paraoxonase-1 are lower in diabetic patients, putting them at higher risk for cardiovascular disease. The new study shows that pomegranate directly facilitates the healthy function of paraoxonase-1 with HDL cholesterol. This enables it to better clear the highly reactive fats that otherwise may damage HDL itself or lead to plaque accumulation in the arteries. This is one more study showing yet another mechanism by which pomegranate supports cardiovascular health.
More...