Can drinking wine decrease the risk of heart disease?
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A few years back it was recognized that there was a decreased incidence of heart disease in France despite the consumption of a high-fat diet, a phenomenon referred to as the “French paradox”. Since it was well known that this population and others such as Denmark also drinks a lot of red wine, scientists began to investigate the potential benefits of red wine. The consumption of wine in these regions is chronic yet only moderate - one to four glasses daily. Red wine consumption has been recognized to reduce the incidence of heart disease by perhaps helping keep blood pressure lower, reducing blood clot formation and reducing LDL oxidation. It is also likely that substances found in red wine, such as quercetin, resveratrol and similar molecules, provide much of the benefit. |
Interestingly, the prophylactic effects of alcohol are not limited only to red wine. Researchers have determined that alcohol in a variety of forms (i.e., liquor, wine, and beer) consumed chronically but in smaller quantities is associated with reduced risk of heart disease, however not to the same extent as red wine.
What drugs are prescribed to reduce blood cholesterol?
The drugs commonly prescribed to treat hypercholesterolemia include those that either decrease cholesterol synthesis in the liver, decrease VLDL production, or decrease dietary cholesterol absorption. Drugs such as lovostatin are known to reduce the manufacturing of cholesterol by the liver, although the benefits of this medication may also include increased LDL removal from the blood. Cholestyramine or colestipol will bind cholesterol in the digestive tract and render it unavailable for absorption. Gram doses of nicotinic acid, a form of niacin, seem to decrease the production of VLDL in the liver. It is believed that nicotinic acid impedes fat mobilization from the fat cells, which ultimately decreases fatty acids returning to the liver. If fewer fatty acids are in the liver, then less VLDL will be made.
Is iron status in the body related to heart disease?
A few years ago research reported that a relationship may exist between heart attacks and higher levels of an iron-storing protein that may be found in our blood. The protein, ferritin, is typically found in tissue such as the liver and is a storage container for iron atoms. However, some ferritin can leak out of cells and circulate, which allows for it to be assessed. Researchers have noted that the risk of a heart attack is higher in individuals with higher ferritin levels in conjunction with a higher LDL-cholesterol level (> 193 mg/100 mL of blood). Other researchers have reported that while total dietary iron intake was not associated with a greater risk of a heart attack, higher intake of heme iron was associated with a greater risk. Heme iron comes from animal sources, largely red meat. Furthermore, those men with a higher heme iron intake who took a vitamin E supplement were at a slightly lower risk for heart attack than those men without a vitamin E supplement. In addition, factors such as smoking and diabetes also placed those men with a higher heme iron intake at an even higher risk of heart attack.
Can coenzyme Q (ubiquinone) be helpful in preventing heart attacks?
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Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10 or ubiquinone) is found in a variety of plants and animals, and better food sources include meats (especially organ meats such as heart and liver), sardines, mackerel, soybean oil, and peanuts. The research involving CoQ10 is difficult to assess for several reasons. Often the studies are short, not long term, or the CoQ10 is provided in addition to other drugs. CoQ10 acting as an antioxidant can be yet another protective factor against free-radical activity and thus heart disease development. Furthermore, some researchers believe that CoQ10 may decrease damage to heart muscle after it has been deprived of oxygen for a brief period of time. In this situation, when oxygen floods back into the deprived cells, there is an increased opportunity for free-radical production. |
Further still, many researchers have determined that the use of statin drugs for high cholesterol levels may compromise CoQ10 status in cells making CoQ10 supplementation along with statin drug use good practice.
