Research Roundup: Sugar’s Effect on Blood Pressure, Coffee & Body Fat, Prunes & Weight Loss
Sugar Directly Impacts Blood Pressure and Risk of Heart Disease
In a review and meta-analysis of 39 clinical trials, added sugar consumption had significant influence on the risk factors for cardiovascular disease, independent of the effects of sugar on body weight. Research suggests that the body handles sugar differently than it does other carbohydrates. Findings support public health recommendations to reduce added dietary sugar as a means to reduce cardiovascular diseases.
(American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, July 2014)
Coffee May Reduce DNA Damage and Body Fat
Regular consumption of market blend or “special” coffee rich in green coffee bean compounds and roast products may promote healthy DNA and reductions in body fat, according to two separate studies. In one study, coffee and water intake were compared in 84 men. After four weeks, the coffee drinkers had a decrease in DNA strand breaks (associated with the development of chronic disease), which increased in water drinkers. In the second study, 84 partici-pants drank either market blend or “special” coffee. While both groups showed DNA protective effects and body fat reductions, fat reduction was more significant in the “special” coffee group.
(European Journal of Nutrition, April 2014; Food Research International, May 2014)
Prunes May Improve Weight Loss
Eating prunes as part of a healthy lifestyle intervention led to both weight loss and reduced waist circumference, according to research in the U.K. Over 12 weeks, one of two groups of 100 overweight and low-fiber consumers ate prunes—140 grams (about 14 prunes) per day for women and 171 grams (about 17 prunes) per day for men—while the control group was only given advice on healthy snacks. The prune-eating group had a mean weight loss of 4.4 pounds and a waist size re-duction of 2.5 centimeters, and the control group lost 3.3 pounds and 1.7 centimeters.
(Presented at the European Congress on Obesity in Bulgaria, May 28, 2014)
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