According to a study from Swedish and Norwegian researchers at Lund University, supplemental ROSE HIPS (Rosa canina) may cut blood pressure and cholesterol levels in overweight people. In a randomized, double-blind, cross-over study, thirty-one obese participants were randomly assigned to receive either a daily dose of 40 grams of Rose Hip powder in a drink or a control drink, both of which also contained apple juice, a citric acid solution and sugar. The results, which were published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, indicated that after six weeks of consumption, the Rose Hip group averaged a decrease in systolic blood pressure of 3.4%, while total and LDL cholesterol levels dropped by 4.9 and 6.0%, respectively; and the risk of cardiovascular disease was decreased by 17%in the Rose Hip group, compared with the control group, registered by the Reynolds risk assessment score for cardiovascular disease (a validated prediction score for heart disease risk over a 10-year period ). According to the World Health Organization, there will be 1.5 billion overweight consumers by 2015, and obesity has become a global epidemic with a range of associated conditions, including Type-2 diabetes and heart disease. The mechanisms involved in the improvements in systolic blood pressure and plasma cholesterol levels are unclear, but the researchers noted that the current study may have important health implications as a starting point for exploring Rose Hips as a constituent of food portfolios designed to reduce cholesterol and blood pressure and decrease the risk of coronary heart disease and concluded that daily consumption of 40 grams of Rose Hip powder for six weeks may significantly reduce cardiovascular risk in obese people through lowering systolic blood pressure and plasma cholesterol levels, adding that detailed follow-up studies of dietary treatment with Rose Hips should not only be performed in hyperlipidemic and hypertensive individuals for efficacy in lowering cholesterol and blood pressure, but also in diabetic individuals to further explore possible anti-diabetic effects.
Sources: European Journal of Clinical Nutrition and Nutraingredients
Facebook
Twitter
