Flaxseed, C-Reactive Protein and Central Obesity

 "Flaxseeds are a good source of dietary fiber and omega-3 fatty acids." And flaxseed may be beneficial in other ways. One study has shown that flaxseed consumption may aid in reducing the amount of C-reactive protein (CRP) in the blood. And another study has shown that flaxseed consumption may also aid in the reduction of central obesity.

According to one of the studies mentioned above, CRP is related to inflammation or swelling of the arteries. And this swelling is associated with cardiovascular problems. In the study, which was a Harvard  women's study consisting of 18,000 subjects, researchers noticed that CRP appeared to be more indicative of cardiovascular risk than cholesterol levels. In fact, a high CRP level could increase the risk of cardiovascular problems by a factor of three.

And flaxseed, which contains a large amount of dietary fiber, has been shown to lower the levels of CRP in the blood. In one study, consisting of 27 men who had cardiovascular risk factors, there was a decrease in CRP after the men were given flaxseed. The researchers indicated that "a decrease in inflammatory markers (CRP and TNF-alpha) was observed after flaxseed intake." The researchers suggested "that flaxseed added to a weight loss diet could be an important nutritional strategy to reduce inflammation markers..."

Furthermore, flaxseed added to a diet may reduce central obesity. In a 12 week flaxseed study, 60 overweight and obese women were randomized into two groups. Both groups were put on a balanced diet. However, the control group consumed 30 g/day of milled rice, while the treatment group consumed 30 g/day of milled flaxseed. At the end of the 12 week intervention, the researchers found that "there was [a] significantly higher reduction rate in waist circumference (WC) and waist to hip ratio (WHR) ... in the flaxseed consuming group compared to the control group."

Healthcare providers often look for ways to enable a person to improve his or her health through diet. Using flaxseed as part of a healthy diet may be a way to do that. Therefore, the use of flaxseed may be something healthcare providers might want to consider.

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A Plant-Based Diet Can Improve Insulin Resistance and Lipids in Obese Individuals

Plant-based diets are frequently in the news today, because the diets appear to be beneficial in combating many chronic diseases, including obesity, high blood pressure, chronic kidney disease, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease(CVD) and diabetes." And a recent study has shown that a vegan diet, which is plant-based, can improve insulin resistance as well as CVD parameters, such as blood lipids, in obese individuals. 

First of all, a plant-based diet may be anything from a semi-vegetarian diet, consisting of small portions of animal products, to a vegan diet, which excludes all animal products. And compared to diets that include animal products, plant-based diets can be significantly helpful in the treatment of CVD.

In the study mentioned above, a vegan diet was also helpful, not only in improving CVD parameters, but also in lowering insulin resistance. The study was a meta-analysis where the researchers selected six studies in seven datasets. And it was found that the vegan diet improved insulin resistance, total cholesterol, HDL and LDL in persons with obesity. It should be noted that in this study, a plant-based diet appeared to have no effect on triglycerides.

The benefits of a plant-based diet are also evident in persons who have an increased genetic CVD risk profile. In one study consisting of 156,148 adult subjects, who did not have CVD, investigators found that adherence to a plant-based diet slowly decreased the risk of CVD even for persons who have a high genetic risk for CVD. Indeed, investigators concluded that “adherence to healthy plant-based diets may be associated with a decreased incidence of CVD in the entire population, suggesting that plant-based diet patterns may modify the risk of CVD, regardless of genetic susceptibility.”

Since the use of a plant-based diet can improve CVD risk factors and insulin resistance in persons with obesity, this is an opportunity for healthcare providers to help their patients. Healthcare providers should counsel patients on the benefits of a plant-based diet.

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Tags: environmental scanning, balanced scorecard, business planning, strategic management, bariatric medicine, obesity medicine, medical practice start up, bariatric industry analysis, weight loss industry analysis, prediabetes, diabetes prevention, weight management industry analysis