Daily serving of strawberries improves insulin and cholesterol levels
Could your cholesterol level and your insulin level be a little lower? There is a natural medicine in the fruit and vegetable section of the supermarket that may offer some solution. According to an American trial, daily consumption of strawberries improves cholesterol and glucose levels.
Study
Arpita Basu, a scientist from the University of Nevada, gave 33 subjects nothing for 4 weeks [Control]. On two other occasions, the subjects were given a relatively low dose of freeze-dried strawberry powder [Strawberry LD] or a relatively high dose of strawberry powder [Strawberry HD] for 4 weeks.The low dose of strawberry powder was 13 grams per day, the high dose was 32 grams per day. The subjects had to dissolve the powder in water and drink it.
Twice a day, between meals, the subjects drank their homemade strawberry shake. The low dose of strawberry powder was equivalent to about 8 strawberries; the high dose is equivalent to 20 strawberries.
You can see the composition of the powder below.
The subjects were not healthy. They were obese and the concentration of the 'bad cholesterol' LDL in their blood was too high.
Results
The high dose of strawberry powder lowered insulin levels, probably by increasing insulin sensitivity. In addition, there was a tendency for the high dose of strawberry powder to lower LDL levels.
Click on the tables below for a larger version.
When the researchers examined the lipids in the blood with NMR, they saw that the concentration of VLDL (say: the triglycerides) decreased as a result of supplementation with a high dose of strawberry powder, as did the concentration of small LDL particles.
A high VLDL level is a bit more risky for the heart and blood vessels than a high LDL level. Moreover, the measured shift within the LDL compartment suggests that the LDL became less dangerous to the blood vessels.
Conclusion
"These findings support the role of dietary strawberries in a medical nutrition therapeutic approach for diabetes prevention in adults", summarize the researchers.
Source:
Nutrients. 2021 Apr 23;13(5):1421.
Could your cholesterol level and your insulin level be a little lower? There is a natural medicine in the fruit and vegetable section of the supermarket that may offer some solution. According to an American trial, daily consumption of strawberries improves cholesterol and glucose levels.
Study
Twice a day, between meals, the subjects drank their homemade strawberry shake. The low dose of strawberry powder was equivalent to about 8 strawberries; the high dose is equivalent to 20 strawberries.
You can see the composition of the powder below.
The subjects were not healthy. They were obese and the concentration of the 'bad cholesterol' LDL in their blood was too high.
Results
The high dose of strawberry powder lowered insulin levels, probably by increasing insulin sensitivity. In addition, there was a tendency for the high dose of strawberry powder to lower LDL levels.
Click on the tables below for a larger version.
When the researchers examined the lipids in the blood with NMR, they saw that the concentration of VLDL (say: the triglycerides) decreased as a result of supplementation with a high dose of strawberry powder, as did the concentration of small LDL particles.
A high VLDL level is a bit more risky for the heart and blood vessels than a high LDL level. Moreover, the measured shift within the LDL compartment suggests that the LDL became less dangerous to the blood vessels.
Conclusion
"These findings support the role of dietary strawberries in a medical nutrition therapeutic approach for diabetes prevention in adults", summarize the researchers.
Source:
Nutrients. 2021 Apr 23;13(5):1421.
