Carrot, the Functional Food Which Normalizes the Levels of Cholesterol, Researchers Suggest

By Kyle J. Norton, Master of Nutrition

Carrot may have found a therapeutic and positive effect in inhibiting the abnormally high blood cholesterol some scientists suggested.

Hyperlipidemia is a condition characterized by abnormally high blood cholesterol in the blood.

The exact causes of the condition are unknown. However, most researchers suggested that genetic mutation inherited from the parents, unhealthy diet and lifestyle and some medical conditions such as diabetes, kidney disease, and hypothyroidism, are the most common risk factors that cause the early onset of the syndrome.

Truly, mutation of LDLRAP1 gene is inherited in an autosomal recessive pattern which contributes to the risk of hyperlipidemia. However, parents of the patient who carry only one copy of the altered gene, are not at risk of high blood cholesterol levels.

Dr. GS Mannu,, the lead author in the study "Evidence of Lifestyle Modification in the Management of Hypercholesterolemia" said, "Target cholesterol levels set out in various guidelines could be achieved by lifestyle changes, including diet, weight reduction, and increased physical activity with the goal of reducing total cholesterol to <200 mg/dL and LDL-C <100mg/dL. Various dietary constituents such as green tea, plant sterols, soy protein have important influences on total cholesterol. Medical intervention should be reserved for those patients who have not reached this goal after 3 months of non-pharmacological approach".

This statement indicated people who follow the Western diet with high amounts of saturated fat and trans fat, red meat, processed food and less in the nut, fruits, and vegetable are at higher risk of abnormally high blood cholesterol.

In other words, patients with hyperlipidemia may lower their blood cholesterol with the change of diet pattern and active lifestyle.

Carrot, a root vegetable with an orange color is a subspecies of Daucus carota, belonging to the family Apiaceae, native to Asian and Europe.

In the reaffirm of the effect of a diet rich in fruit and vegetable can protect against cardiovascular diseases by acting on cholesterol metabolism and on oxidative stress, researchers launched an investigation to examine whether daily carrot consumption (provided as lyophilized powder) could differentially influence the consequences of cholesterol supplementation on lipid metabolism and oxidative stress in C57BL/6J mice.

14 mice were randomized in four groups. Mice were fed either control diets (without or with 0.25% cholesterol added) or lyophilized carrot enriched diets (20% wt/wt without or with 0.25 % cholesterol added) for 4 weeks. 

At the end of the study, researchers found.

* Carrot included in the diet mice group shows a decrease of cholesterol by 41% and triglycerides by 49 % in plasma and in the liver by41% and -39%, respectively in animals fed cholesterol-supplemented diets.

* Carrot fed mice group also induced an increase of total neutral sterols fecal excretion, which inhibits digestive cholesterol absorption.

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

* Although vitamin E was not affected by carrot diet, vitamin E/TG ratio was significantly higher in animals fed carrot diets. By comparing to the healthy mice, the dyslipidaemic mice had higher serum vitamin E (p<0.001), but serum vitamin E / total cholesterol ratio did not differ between the dyslipidaemic mice and healthy controls (p>0.05)

Further differentiation also suggested that The carrot diet protect the heart tissue through the expression of an increase of vitamin E in the heart in both cholesterol-free and cholesterol-supplemented mice. 

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

These results indicated a protective impact against CVD linked to atherosclerosis by regular intake carrot diet and these effects was attributed to the synergistic effect of fiber and associated antioxidants.

Additionally, in the examination of the vegetables major dietary sources of fibers and antioxidants such as carotenoids, polyphenols and vitamin C in the contribution to the protective effects against cardiovascular diseases, researchers conducted a study in the rat model to test the effects of a 3-week supplementation of the diet with carrot (15% dry matter) on lipid metabolism and antioxidant status.

At the final report of the experiment, researchers showed
* Carrot intake significant decrease cholesterol level in the liver by 44% and level of liver triglycerides by 40%.

* Carrot diet increases the fecal total steroids excretion increased by 30% in the carrot diet compared to the control, an indication of reduced cholesterol absorption.

* The secretion of bile acids was maintained, whereas the cholesterol apparent absorption was reduced in rats fed with carrot diet.

* Carrot consumption also improves the antioxidant status

* The carrot diet provided carotenoid antioxidants: 5.1 mg beta-carotene, 1.6 mg alpha-carotene and 0.25mg lutein per 100 g diet.

Dr. Nicolle C the lead author in the summary once again said, " Carrot consumption modifies cholesterol absorption and bile acids excretion and increases antioxidant status and these effects could be interesting for cardiovascular protection".

Taken altogether, there is no doubt that carrot with abundant antioxidants may be considered a functional food and an adjunct therapy for the prevention and treatment of patients with hyperlipidemia.

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Author Biography
Kyle J. Norton (Scholar, Master of Nutrition, All right reserved)
Health article writer and researcher; Over 10.000 articles and research papers have been written and published online, including worldwide health, ezine articles, article base, health blogs, self-growth, 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 Bioscience, 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 the 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)