Dr. R. James Barnard, senior researcher
attributed the effect to "decreasing their consumption of fat and refined sugar
and increasing their consumption of grains, vegetables and fruits--foods high in
antioxidants--as well as exercising daily."
He also noted that the findings have
"implications for the control of hypertension as a result of increased nitric
oxide availability, which lowers blood pressure and allows patients to get off
of medication. It also has implications for reducing the risk for
atherosclerosis and cancer as oxidative stress plays an important role in these
common health problems."
Dr. Barnard, from the University of California
Los Angeles, and colleagues studied 11 obese men, 38 to 72 years of age, who
were placed on a high-fiber, low-fat diet and 45 to 60 minutes of daily
exercise. Seven of the men were hypertensive, and two had type 2 diabetes,
according to the report in a rapid access issue of Circulation: Journal of the
American Heart Association.
After 3 weeks of the program, there were
significant reductions in body weight and body mass index, without elimination
of obesity. There were substantial decreases in systolic and diastolic blood
pressure (14% and 10%, respectively) and in fasting glucose (7%). There was also
a significant improvement in the ratio of total cholesterol to HDL cholesterol.
Serum 8-isoprostaglandin F2-alpha decreased
significantly and there was a significant increase in urinary NO excretion. The
correlation between increased urinary NO excretion and the decrease in serum
insulin was significant, they add.
"Although body weight decreased slightly, obesity
was still present, and so the changes are possible in the absence of significant
weight loss," said lead author of the study, Dr. Christian K. Roberts.
Dr. Roberts stated that, "Physicians must
encourage their patients to modify their lifestyle as a means of prevention and
reversal of chronic disease risk factors such as hypertension, hyperinsulinemia,
hyperlipidemia and oxidative stress."
According to the results, recommendations need to emphasize to patients to consume a diet high in fiber, fruits and vegetables as opposed to focusing on weight loss per se, as it is well established now that a patients' metabolic profile can be improved significantly without the need for large weight loss.
Source: Diabetes In Control Dot Com: Circulation 2002;106:000-000.
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