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Turmeric has been a healing remedy in traditional Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine for centuries. It comes from the rhizome (root) of the Curcuma longa plant and has a warm, earthy flavor. Turmeric's active compound, curcumin, is a potent anti-inflammatory and antioxidant with many health benefits, from soothing joint pain to enhancing digestion and immunity. 1. Arthritis (Joint Pain) Arthritis is a broad term that describes over 100 conditions that cause joint inflammation, pain, stiffness, and reduced mobility. Osteoarthritis, the most common form of arthritis, typically develops due to age-related "wear and tear." Other types, like rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and psoriatic...

The importance of this technique becomes even clearer when considering the larger context. An astonishing 100 million Americans are affected by obesity and related cardiometabolic disorders, notes S. Thai Thayumanavan, a distinguished biomedical engineer and chemist at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. "We were really excited about this work," he says. The brilliance of this method lies in the nanogel itself. These tiny carriers are packed with a synthetic thyroid hormone drug called a thyromimetic. While thyroid hormones are crucial for liver metabolism, they often prove ineffective and cause adverse side effects when taken systemically. "We came up with a...

When it comes to managing high cholesterol, small dietary changes can help. Eating enough vegetables not only helps reduce high cholesterol but can actually prevent the condition. While you may think that fresh veggies are healthiest, think again. Frozen veggies are just as nutritious. Plus, they tend to be budget-friendly and have a much longer shelf life. High cholesterol affects about 10% of U.S. adults. And having it puts you at a higher risk of developing heart disease and stroke.1 We spoke with registered dietitians and dove into the latest research to share the seven best frozen vegetables for lower...

Researchers at the University of Copenhagen have identified a new drug target for weight loss that curbs appetite, boosts energy use, and enhances insulin sensitivity without causing nausea or muscle loss. This discovery may pave the way for effective treatments for obesity and type 2 diabetes. Millions worldwide benefit from weight loss drugs derived from the incretin hormone GLP-1. These medications not only aid in weight management but also enhance kidney function, lower the risk of fatal cardiac events, and show potential in protecting against neurodegeneration. However, many individuals discontinue these medications due to common side effects such as nausea...

A new discovery about how the liver flushes cholesterol from the body could lead to more effective treatments for cardiovascular disease—the leading cause of death worldwide. Researchers have found that the production of bile, which is vital for flushing excess cholesterol from the body, is affected by the rate blood flows into the liver via the "portal" vein from the intestine. Previous research has shown that blood flow in the portal vein increases and decreases throughout the day in response to movement, rest, and intake of foods. The Leeds team has now identified that bile production increases when blood flow...

Higher levels of HDL-C—known as the "good cholesterol"—have been shown to correlate with heightened risk for Alzheimer's disease. A new study might explain why. Once women reach the menopause transition, it's a matter of the quality, rather than quantity, of the total cholesterol carried by HDL particles circulating in a woman's bloodstream, and that quality declines over time, according to a research team. HDL particles vary in their size, composition and level of functioning. The team measured these features in the blood of 503 women from the Study of Women's Health Across the Nation (SWAN) HDL ancillary study. The researchers...

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Heart disease is the No. 1 killer of Americans. However, having high cholesterol levels doesn’t always lead to heart disease, a South Florida cardiac specialist has discovered. Dr. Jonathan Fialkow, deputy director of clinical cardiology at Baptist Health Miami Cardiac & Vascular Institute, said a study of 80 people on the low-carbohydrate ketogenic (KETO) diet for nearly five years found that high levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, LDL-C (often referred to as bad cholesterol), didn’t always lead to coronary plaque buildup or heart disease. “This is because they (participants on the KETO diet) are metabolically healthy,” Fialkow said. “This shows...

Nick Norwitz, a doctorate student at Harvard University, found that contrary to the beliefs of many experts, his cholesterol levels actually dropped. After the month-long experiment that saw him eat the equivalent of 24 eggs per day his low-density lipoprotein (LDL) levels, or 'bad' cholesterol, fell by 18 percent. Experts have demonized cholesterol in eggs for decades, warning that eating them may cause a surge in LDL levels and raise the risk of complications. Dr Norwitz has a PhD in human brain metabolism from the University of Oxford and is completing his medical doctorate at Harvard University.

Story at a Glance: •There is a widespread belief that elevated cholesterol is the “cause” of cardiovascular disease. However, a large body of evidence shows that there is no association between the two and that lower cholesterol significantly increases one’s risk of death. •An alternative model (which the medical industry buried) proposes that the blood clots the body uses to heal arterial damage, once healed, create the characteristic atherosclerotic lesions associated with heart disease. The evidence for this model, in turn, is much stronger than the cholesterol hypothesis and provides many important insights for treating heart disease. •The primary approach...

The traditional lipid panel may not give the full picture of cholesterol-related heart disease risk for many Americans, according to a study. There are different types of cholesterol particles that can cause heart disease, including low-density lipoproteins (LDL), very low-density lipoproteins (VLDL), and intermediate-density lipoproteins (IDL). LDL-C is a measure of the weight of cholesterol in LDL particles and is one of the most common tests people use to measure cholesterol risk. Every LDL, VLDL, and IDL particle has a single protein on its surface called apolipoprotein B (apoB). Prior research has shown that the number of "bad" cholesterol particles,...

Fish oil supplements are a multi-billion dollar industry in the U.S. and abroad, with about 2 out of every 25 people popping the popular omega-3 pills. And a new study might encourage a new population to start looking into the supplements as well: people with a genetic predisposition to high cholesterol. Using genetic data from more than 441,000 participants, the researchers calculated a score to predict the genetic likelihood of high levels of total cholesterol, high LDL cholesterol (which is often referred to as "bad" cholesterol), triglycerides and HDL cholesterol (or "good" cholesterol). "Recent advances in genetic studies have allowed...

Whether it's freshly diced, sprinkled, or infused in oil, regularly adding some garlic to your diet has been found to keeps both blood sugar and cholesterol in check. A meta-analysis of 22 previous studies that included 29 randomized, controlled trials conducted by researchers from Southeast University and Xizang Minzu University in China confirms the consumption of garlic is linked with lower levels of glucose and some types of fat molecule. Glucose and lipids are key nutrients for the body, providing energy and the basis of a wide variety of building blocks. Modern diets can often lead to too much of...

The Japanese scientist whose pioneering work led to the creation of statins, the life-saving drugs used by millions, has died at the age of 90. Akira Endo's pivotal work has been likened to the discovery of penicillin. The biochemist is said to have been inspired by Alexander Fleming's discovery of penicillin, prompting him to study mould, or fungi, in his quest to find new medicines. In 1973, Prof Endo found the first cholesterol-lowering compound able to reduce the risk of heart disease and strokes.

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) often starts with the buildup of lipid deposits or plaques within the blood vessel, setting the stage for atherosclerosis. Rupture of these atherosclerotic plaques clot blood vessels and lead to life-threatening conditions including heart attack or stroke. Dyslipidemia, meaning having too much "bad" or atherogenic lipids in the blood, represents the most common cause of CVDs. Accordingly, doctors often prescribe lipid-lowering medications. In two studies, researchers found a novel approach to achieve intensive lipid lowering, which enabled reversal of atherosclerotic plaques in murine disease models. This potential therapy employs a previously unknown function of the essential element...

Alternate day fasting (ADF) has gained growing attention due to its dramatic effects on improving disordered metabolic parameters. However, the effects of ADF on atherosclerotic plaque formation remain inconsistent and controversial in atherosclerotic animal models. Using atherogenic mice, scientists have worked jointly and reported that ADF aggravated Western diet (WD)–induced atherosclerotic lesion formation, and they also validated that such effects were mediated by inhibiting the expression of hepatic activating transcription factor 3 (ATF3) under ADF intervention. The findings suggest the potentially harmful effects when ADF intervention is applied to the population at high risk of atherosclerosis. In this study, 11-week-old...

Hard-to-detect colorectal pre-cancerous lesions known as serrated polyps, and tumors that develop from them, depend heavily on tramped-up production of cholesterol, according to a preclinical study. The finding points to the possibility of using cholesterol-lowering drugs to prevent or treat such tumors. The researchers analyzed mice that develop serrated polyps and tumors. They confirmed their findings in analyses of human serrated polyps and tumors and showed in mouse models that replicate the human cancer that blocking cholesterol production prevented the progression of these types of intestinal tumors. Cholesterol is considered a pro-growth molecule. "Trials of statins to prevent colorectal cancer...

Abnormally high levels of HDL-C, colloquially known as "good cholesterol," are associated with an increased risk of dementia in older adults, a study has found. Researchers said very high levels of HDL-C linked to dementia risk in this study were uncommon and not diet related, but more likely to reflect a metabolic disorder. The findings may help doctors to recognize a group of older patients potentially at risk of dementia. Over an average 6.3 years, participants with very high HDL-C (>80 mg/dL or >2.07 mmol/L) at study entry were observed to have a 27% higher risk of dementia compared to...

"Bad" cholesterol isn't the only culprit linked with a higher risk of cardiovascular disease, according to a trio of recent studies showing that a different kind of cholesterol is also a strong risk factor for people worldwide. Remnant cholesterol (RC) was confirmed as a strong risk factor for coronary heart disease, heart attacks and stroke, the largest of the studies showed. RC is produced from the metabolism of triglycerides. Using data from almost one million participants—the findings are the first to show, on a large scale, a causal link between high RC and risk of cardiovascular illness. "This tells us...

Obesity often involves hyperlipidemia (high concentrations of fats/lipids in the blood), diabetes, hypertension, chronic inflammation and oxidative stress, which increase susceptibility to CVD. Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) is a nanoparticle that transports cholesterol in blood. Cholesterol, which is good in moderation, is essential for normal cellular function. "Our results showed that in obesity, it is not the quantity but the quality of LDL that contributes to disease: 'bad cholesterol' becomes worse due to obesity-associated inflammation. As a result, cholesterol delivery is shifted from normal to abnormal, so more cholesterol is retained in the arterial wall, ultimately forming plaques that occlude the...