Herb for the Heart

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Herb for the Heart

JoAnn Guest

Sep 30, 2004 15:23 PDT

 

Herb for the Heart

Research shows that supplementation with Borage Oil

may help reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease

 

By: Artur Klimaszewski, MD

Source: Bioriginal Publishing

Date Published: October 1999

 

http://www.fatsforhealth.com/library/libitems/cardiovascular.php

 

Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death in the US and

around the world. About 40% of people living in the US eventually

die from cardiovascular diseases. The Heart and Stroke Foundation

estimates that 58.8 million Americans currently have one or more

types of cardiovascular disease.

 

The majority of cardiovascular diseases are caused by

atherosclerosis - the progressive narrowing of the arteries over

time. Atherosclerosis is characterized by a buildup of fatty

deposits, called plaque, on the inner walls of the arteries. This

yellowish plaque is made up of LDL-Cholesterol, lipids and cellular

debris.

 

The buildup of plaque can lead to insufficient delivery of blood and

oxygen to vital organs such as the heart, brain, and kidneys, and to

the lower extremities. This loss of circulation to the lower limbs

can lead to gangrene in diabetics.

 

Atherosclerosis may also lead to other complications including

aneurysm, embolism, and irregular heart beat.

 

The primary risk factors for atherosclerosis are:

 

Elevated blood-cholesterol

High blood pressure

Diet high in saturated fat

Lack of exercise

Family history of atherosclerosis

Obesity

Cigarette smoking

Diabetes Mellitus

 

Research with both animals and humans indicates that supplementation

with Gamma-linolenic Acid (GLA) can reduce some of these risk

factors.

 

GLA is an Essential Fatty Acid that cannot be obtained from the

regular diet. It is a naturally occuring compound found in Borage

(also known as Starflower) Oil, Evening Primrose Oil, and Black

Currant Oil.

 

GLA has been shown to help correct blood cholesterol levels, lower

blood pressure, and may interfere with the growth of atherosclerotic

plaque.

Supplement-ation with GLA can therefore be a helpful addition to a

" heart healthy " regime.

 

Effects of GLA on cholesterol

 

In 1994, a Chilean placebo-controlled human clinical study

demonstrated the positive effects of GLA on blood cholesterol.1 The

study included 12 men with increased levels of LDL ( " bad

cholesterol " ) and with a known family history of premature coronary

artery disease.

 

The patients received 240 mg of GLA per day. After two months of

supplementation, the average LDL-cholesterol level in the treatment

group had fallen to a healthy 125 milligrams per decilitre (mg/dl)

of blood. The placebo group remained high, with an average of 246

mg/dl.

At the same time, the average blood level of the beneficial HDL-

cholesterol ( " good cholesterol " ) increased in the treatment group to

42 mg/dl. The placebo group remained high risk, at 33 mg/dl.

 

An earlier study, done in 1989 in Japan, showed similar effects.

 

However, it was observed that some patients did not respond to the

treatment as well as others. Therefore, patients with high blood

cholesterol who begin taking a GLA supplement should test their

LDL-cholesterol level after approximately 6 weeks to ensure that

they are experiencing positive effects.

 

Animal studies have also demonstrated that GLA inhibits the increase

of blood cholesterol due to dietary factors.

 

Effects of GLA on high blood pressure

 

High blood pressure (hypertension) increases blood turbulence and

may damage blood vessel walls, leading to the development of

atherosclerotic plaque.

 

Several laboratory studies on hypertensive rats have shown that

dietary supplementation with oils containing GLA significantly

lowered blood pressure.

 

Studies on humans demontrate that GLA supplementation lowers

stress-related hypertension. In a 1996 study published in the

Journal of Human Hypertension, patients received 1 gram of GLA per

day for 4 weeks.5

 

During subsequent stress-tests, the blood pressure of the

treatment group increased up to 40% less than in the placebo group.

 

In an earlier study, investigators compared the effects of GLA

(Borage Oil) and EPA (Fish Oil) on stress-induced hypertension.6 In

the 28-day study, one treatment group received 1.3 grams of GLA per

day, while the other received 1.6 grams of EPA per day.

During subsequent stress-tests, the Borage Oil group demonstrated a

lesser stress-related increase in blood pressure than either the

placebo or fish oil groups.

 

Further effects of GLA on the growth of atherosclerotic plaque

 

Several studies done on animals or in vitro suggest that GLA may

inhibit a number of other processes related to the growth of

atherosclerotic plaque including platelet aggregation and smooth

muscle cell multiplication. These findings have yet to be confirmed

in human trials.

 

Getting the GLA you need

 

The best source of GLA is Borage (or Starflower) Oil, which contains

up to 23% GLA. Evening Primrose Oil (8-10% GLA) and Black Currant

Oil (15-17% GLA) are other sources of GLA. Because of the higher

concentration of GLA in Borage, a patient may consume fewer capsules

overall to achieve the required dosage. This allows the patient to

consume the least amount of supplemental calories and fat possible

and makes Borage Oil the most economical source of GLA.

 

Effective dosages for lowering blood cholesterol levels are in the

range of 250 to 1000 mg of GLA per day, or one to four 1000-mg

capsules of Borage Oil per day. Effective dosages for reducing

stress-related blood pressure are in the range of 1000 to 1300 mg of

GLA per day, or four to five capsules daily.

 

The positive effects of GLA can generally be seen after one month of

supplementation, although some people might experience the effects

much faster. The full effects of GLA supplementation are seen over

longer periods.

 

Studies have shown that Borage oil is safe and non-toxic, even in

large amounts. For maximum effectivess, GLA can be taken in

conjunction with a regular exercise routine and a diet reduced in

cholesterol and saturated fat.

 

Artur Klimaszewski is an M.D. with Bioriginal Food & Science Corp.,

Saskatoon, Canada. He is devoted to research in the field of

Essential Fatty Acids.

 

Moderator's Note: As a former cardio patient I can attest to the

efficacy of GLA for cardiovascular blockages. I used maximum dosages

of Evening primrose oil, although Borage oil and black currant oil

are just as effective. EPO was the one that I was most familiar with

at the time.

God bless, JoAnn

 

References:

 

Guivernau, M. et al. Clinical and Experimental Study on the Long-

term

Effect of Dietary Gamma Linolenic Acid on Plasma Lipids, Platelet

Aggregation, Thromboxane Formation, and Prostacyclin Production.

Prostaglandins, Leukotrienes and Essential Fatty Acids, Vol. 51, pp

311-316 (1994).

Ishikawa, Toshitsugu, et al. Effects of gamma Linolenic acid on

plasma

lipoproteins and apolipoproteins. Atherosclerosis, Vol. 75, pp 95-

104

(1989).

Fukushima, Michihiro et al. Comparative Hypocholesterolemic Effects

of

Six Dietary Oils in Cholesterol-Fed Rats After Long-Term Feeding.

Lipids, Vol. 32, No. 10, pp 1069-74 (1997).

Engler, Marguerite. Comparative study of diets enriched with evening

primrose, black currant, borage or fungal oils on blood pressure and

stressor responses in spontaneously hypertensive rats.

Prostaglandins,

Leukotrienes and Essential Fatty Acids, Vol. 49, pp 809-14 (1993).

Deferne, J-L. Resting blood pressure and cardiovascular reactivity

to

mental arithmetic in mild hypertensive males supplemented with

blackcurrant seed oil. Journal of Human Hypertension, Vol. 10, pp

531-37

(1996).

Mills, David, et al. Dietary fatty acid supplementation alters

stress

reactivity and performance in man. Journal of Human Hypertension,

Vol.

3, pp 111-16 (1989).

Charmock, J.S., et al. Gamma Linolenic acid, black currant seed and

evening primrose oil in the prevention of cardiac arrhythmia in aged

rats. Nutritional Research, Vol. 14, pp 1089-99 (1994).

Fan, Y-Y, et al. A macrophage-smooth muscle cell co-culture model:

applications in the study of atherogenesis. In Vitro Cellular and

Developmental Biology. Vol. 31, pp 492-93 (1995).

_________________

 

JoAnn Guest

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