Re: Zinc protects against heart disease / multi-vitamins

[Guest guest]

Rodney,

Yeah, if a multi-vitamin had enough calcium in a one-a-day pill, it

would be too big to swallow.

Excess iron can be a big problem for men and post-menopausal women, as

there is no monthly loss of iron. Iron is in many fortified foods, so

if one is eating breakfast cereal and taking a regular multi with

typically 18 mg of iron everyday, you are probably getting way too much.

I read a study years back that showed men who gave blood regularly had

a lower incidence of heart disease, and the benefit was attributed to

lower iron stores. It is known that iron oxidation is involved in

CVD, as is mentioned in this zinc study.

So, I use any basic multi with no iron (senior formula, or " for men "

formula), that claims a high percentage of vit A as water soluble beta

carotene. Then, I supplement fish oil, GLA (Borage oil), Vitamin D

(in winter only), Calcium/Magnesium, mixed tocopheral/tocotrienals Vit

E (200 IU) few days per week, Ester C, CoQ10, and grape seed extract.

Most of the extra stuff is intended to lower my hereditary high BP,

and it has helped, as some modest weight loss plus this

supplementation has brought it from 145/85 to an average 125/75 now.

Dave

> > > > >

> > > > > Summary:

> > > > >

> > > > > Study done at National University of Singapore shows zinc

> > > > > supplementation in animals reduces CVD. Zinc does not lower

> blood

> > > > > cholesterol levels, but reduced aortic lesions by 66 per cent

> in

> > > > > rabbits, by possibly influencing iron metabolism.

> > > > >

> > > > >

> > > > > Link and full text:

> > > > >

> > > > >

> > > > http://www.nutraingredients.com/news/ng.asp?

> > > n=68177 & m=1NIE605 & c=lqeudkujayvvlpc

> > > > >

> > > > >

> > > > > Zinc supplements could protect against CVD

> > > > >

> > > > > 05/06/2006- Zinc supplements may decrease the risk of heart

> > > disease,

> > > > > says an animal study from Singapore, results that appear to

> > > support

> > > > > previous benefits afforded by the mineral.

> > > > >

> > > > > Atherosclerosis is the process whereby fatty substances such

> as

> > > > > cholesterol and calcium form plaque on the inner lining of an

> > > artery,

> > > > > causing them to harden. If enough builds up the plaque can

> reduce

> > > > > blood flow through the artery, and if it ruptures blood clots

> can

> > > > > form, which can block the flow of blood to the heart and

> cause a

> > > heart

> > > > > attack.

> > > > >

> > > > > Atherosclerosis occurs naturally in humans as part of the

> aging

> > > > > process, but certain factors including high blood cholesterol,

> > > > > smoking, high blood pressure, obesity and diabetes increase

> the

> > > risk.

> > > > >

> > > > > A report last year in the Journal of Nutrition (Vol. 135, pp.

> > > > > 2114-2118) reported that deficiency in zinc in mice was

> associated

> > > > > with an increase in the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD)

> > > through

> > > > > inflammation and a decreased level of compounds that protect

> > > against

> > > > > atherosclerosis.

> > > > >

> > > > > The new research, published on-line in the journal Free

> Radical

> > > > > Biology and Medicine (doi:

> 10.1016/j.freeradbiomed.2006.03.017),

> > > > > reports that supplementation of a high cholesterol diet with

> zinc

> > > > > reduced the formation of lesions in the arteries of rabbits,

> but

> > > the

> > > > > effects were not linked to changes in cholesterol levels.

> > > > >

> > > > > Lead researcher Barry Halliwell and colleagues from the

> National

> > > > > University of Singapore divided 18 white rabbits into three

> > > groups.

> > > > > The first was fed a normal diet (control), the second fed a

> > > > > high-cholesterol diet (HCD, one per cent cholesterol), and

> the

> > > third

> > > > > was fed the HCD diet but was supplemented with zinc in the

> > > carbonate

> > > > > form (0.1 per cent).

> > > > >

> > > > > After eight weeks, the researchers measured blood levels of

> HDL,

> > > LDL,

> > > > > and total cholesterol, as well as triglyceride levels. The

> number

> > > of

> > > > > white and red blood cells were also measured.

> > > > >

> > > > > The researchers found that zinc supplementation did not

> > > significantly

> > > > > change total cholesterol, LDL, or triglyceride levels, but a

> > > > > significant decrease in HDL levels was observed – 6.9

> millimoles

> > > per

> > > > > litre in the HCD group and 2.6 millimoles per litre in the

> HCD

> > > plus

> > > > > zinc group.

> > > > >

> > > > > This result appears to agree with last years report that zinc

> > > > > deficiency is associated with increased levels of HDL.

> > > > >

> > > > > " Since HDL is antiatherosclerotic, it seems unlikely that the

> > > > > protective effects of zinc are mediated by altering plasma

> lipid

> > > > > levels, " wrote lead author Minquin Ren.

> > > > >

> > > > > When the scientists investigated the formation of lesions in

> the

> > > > > rabbit aorta. They found that zinc supplementation

> significantly

> > > > > decreased the area of the lesions by 66 per cent, a result

> linked

> > > to a

> > > > > decrease in iron concentrations in the tissue, which has

> > > previously

> > > > > been reported to catalytically promote damaging free-radical

> > > reactions

> > > > > and the development of atherosclerosis.

> > > > >

> > > > > " Other evidence that zinc is influencing iron metabolism is

> that

> > > the

> > > > > red blood cell dropped in the HCD animals from 5.9 to 3.04bn

> per

> > > > > litre, whereas in the Zn-supplemented HCD animals the drop was

> > > > > smaller, from 5.9 to 4.07bn per litre, " said Ren.

> > > > >

> > > > > " Zinc may thus play a role in inhibiting lesion formation

> through

> > > the

> > > > > indirect prevention of iron-mediated free-radical damage, in

> that

> > > it

> > > > > decreases the iron content of the lesion, " concluded the

> > > researchers.

> > > > >

> > > > > Research is reported to be on-going to determine the

> mechanism

> > > behind

> > > > > the reported benefits.

> > > > >

> > > >

> > >

> >

>