The Effects of Carrot on Hyperlipidemia, Lipid Peroxidation, Antioxidants and Heart Disease, Analyzed By PubMed Studies

Kyle J. Norton

Carrot may have a profound and positive effect in modulated blood levels of cholesterol and improved antioxidant status in host, some scientists suggested.

These regulations showed a strong support of carrot in reduced risk of heart diseases.

Cholesterol, a waxy substance found in lipidprotein form of your blood, with right levels plays an important role in building healthy cell membrane in maintenance of proper membrane permeability and fluidity as well as production of certain hormones, vitamin D and enzymes with function in digested food.

Abnormal high blood cholesterol is a common and modern syndrome with increased risk of fatty deposits in the blood vessels in contribution to early onset of heart diseases.

In compared to healthy individuals, people with abnormal high blood cholesterol are associated to twice the risk of heart disease. 

According to the general belief, the syndrome are strongly associated to unhealthy diet and choices of lifestyle.

Change of diet and regular exercise are considered as the best choice to attenuated risk of early onset. 

According to statistic from Centers and Disease Control and Prevention, "between 2011–2012, an estimated 26.4% of U.S. adult males and 9.0% of females aged ≥20 years had low levels of HDL cholesterol (also known as "good cholesterol") and "In all age groups, a higher percentage of men had low levels of HDL cholesterol than women. A higher percentage of men aged 40–59 years had low levels of HDL cholesterol than men aged ≥60 years".

Uncontrolled and untreated high blood cholesterol can induce a set of  serious complications including carotid artery disease, coronary heart disease, peripheral artery disease and stroke.

Carrot, a root vegetable with orange color is a sub spices of Daucus carota, belongings to the family Apiaceae, native to Asian and Europe.

Nutrients
1. Carbohydrates
2. Sugars
3. Fibre
4. Fat
5. Protein
6. Vitamin A
7. Thiamine (VittaminB1)
8. Riboflavin (Vittamin B2)
9. Niacin (Vittamin B3)
10. Vitamin B6
11. Folate (Vittamin B9)
12. Vitamin C
13. Vitamin K
14. Calcium
15. Iron
16. Magnesium
17. Molybdenum
18. Phosphorus
19. Potassium
20. Sodium

In the study to evaluate whether the diet rich in carrot can protect the onset of cardiovascular diseases by acting on cholesterol metabolism and its effect on oxidative stress, researchers at the Vilmorin, Clause & Cie--BP 1, launched an investigation of these hypothesis on 4 groups of C57BL/6J mice 

* Group1: mice fed with control diets (without cholesterol added)
* Group 2: Mice fed control diets with 0.25% cholesterol added
* Group 3: mice fed with lyophilized carrot enriched diets (20% wt/wt without 0.25 % cholesterol added)
* Group 4: mice fed with lyophilized carrot enriched diets (20% wt/wt with 0.25 % cholesterol added)

The experiment was carried in the period of 4 weeks.

According to the results observed from fecal excretios, vitamin E, carotenoid concentrations and biomarkers relative to oxidative stress such as FRAP (Ferric Reducing Ability of Plasma) and isoprostanes assays.

* Group fed with carrot diet with added cholesterol showed a decrease of cholesterol (-41%) and triglycerides (-49 %) in plasma and in the liver (-41% and -39%, respectively) in compared to animals fed cholesterol-supplemented diets. 

* Also, group treated with carrot diet induced an increase of total neutral sterols fecal excretion, an indication of  inhibited digestive cholesterol absorption

* Carrot diet increased antioxidant status in cholesterol-fed mice as expressed by the 16% higher FRAP values.

* Carrot diet induced an increase of vitamin E in the heart in both cholesterol-free and cholesterol-supplemented fed mice, suggesting a higher protection of heart tissue.

Ferric Reducing Ability of Plasma assay is a medical technique for measuring antioxidant activity and isoprostanes are compound formed from the free radical-catalyzed peroxidation.

These results suggested that carrot intake may exert a protective impact against CVD linked to atherosclerosis. And these effects are associated to the synergistic effect of fiber and antioxidants.

Dr. Nicolle C, the lead author after taking into account of other confounders, said, "carrot ingestion decreases lipemia and improves antioxidant status in mice".

Further more, the Unité des Maladies Métaboliques & Micronutriments in the concerns of certain phytochemicals and vitamin and theirs' CVD protective properties as belief by general population, conducted a animal study in rats fed with carrot (15% dry matter) for 3 weeks to evaluate the lipid metabolism and antioxidant status.

According to the results, after taking into account of other independent risk factors, rat fed with dry carrot supplement demonstrated a significant decrease of cholesterol level in liver together with a reduction of the level of liver triglycerides.

Fecal secretion of total steroids excretion taken during the end of experiment also increased traumatically by 30% in compared to the baseline just before the experiment.

Rats fed with the supplementation also did not alter the levels of bile acids secretion, whereas the cholesterol apparent absorption was reduced.

In antioxidant aspect, researcher found that the dry carrot supplement intake significantly enhance antioxidant status with many implications, including

* Reduced expression of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances, the oxidative species formed as a byproduct of lipid peroxidation through decreased urinary secretion of the substances.

Thiobarbituric acid reactive substances are organic compounds formed as a byproduct in lipid peroxidation. 

The observation also showed that lipid peroxidation was reduced by antioxidant in inhibited ROS activities.

* Plasmatic levels of vitamin E, was increased profoundly at the end of the study.

Vitamin E is a powerful antioxidant and free radical scavengers with function in reduced free radical damage and slow the cellular aging process.

Additionally analysis, also found that dry carrot improved antioxidants and enhanced production of natural antioxidants from the host tissue were attributed to the properties of carotenoids (beta-carotene, alpha-carotene and lutein), some major bioactive ingredients in carrot.

Dr. Nicolle C, the lead author at the report of these interesting results, said, "Carrot consumption modifies cholesterol absorption and bile acids excretion and increases antioxidant status and these effects could be interesting for cardiovascular protection".

Some researchers in the study to replace conventional hamburgers with low fat carrot fibers hamburgers also found that including carrot fiber in the hamburgers may contribute to a strong impact in reduced risk of CVD through composition, pH value, cholesterol content.

Interestingly, with particular cooking characteristics and color, texture profile, low fat carrot fiber hamburger presented sensory and textural properties similar to those of regular hamburgers, up to 2% CF.

Taken together, carrot may be considered as a function food in reduced risk of CVD by inhibited hyperlipidemia and lipid peroxidation through antioxidants from the root vegetables and stimulating natural antioxidant produced by the host tissue.

However, additional data collection  on clinical studies performed with human consumption on large sample size and multi canters during the course of diseases will be necessary to complete the picture of carrot effects in modulated cholesterol and decreased risk CVD posibilities.

Therefore, people who have high blood cholesterol or are at risk of high blood cholesterol due to family history may want to add a portion of carrot in their daily diet for preventive measure.

Intake of carrot supplementation should be taken with exceptional care, as acute liver toxicity was found in some medical literature.

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Author Biography
Kyle J. Norton (Scholar, Master of Nutrients, All right reserved)
Health article writer and researcher; Over 10.000 articles and research papers have been written and published on line, including world wide health, ezine articles, article base, healthblogs, selfgrowth, best before it's news, the karate GB daily, etc.,.
Named TOP 50 MEDICAL ESSAYS FOR ARTISTS & AUTHORS TO READ by Disilgold.com Named 50 of the best health Tweeters Canada - Huffington Post
Nominated for shorty award over last 4 years
Some articles have been used as references in medical research, such as international journal Pharma and Bio science, ISSN 0975-6299.


Sources
(1) Lyophilized carrot ingestion lowers lipemia and beneficially affects cholesterol metabolism in cholesterol-fed C57BL/6J mice by Nicolle C1, Gueux E, Lab C, Jaffrelo L, Rock E, Mazur A, Amouroux P, Rémésy C.(PubMed)
(2) Effect of carrot intake on cholesterol metabolism and on antioxidant status in cholesterol-fed rat by Nicolle C1, Cardinault N, Aprikian O, Busserolles J, Grolier P, Rock E, Demigné C, Mazur A, Scalbert A, Amouroux P, Rémésy C.(PubMed)
(3) The Comparative Effect of Carrot and Lemon Fiber as a Fat Replacer on Physico-chemical, Textural, and Organoleptic Quality of Low-fat Beef Hamburger by Soncu ED1, Kolsarıcı N1, Çiçek N2, Öztürk GS3, Akoğlu IT4, Arıcı YK5.(PubMed)