Study Showcases Several ways Lutein Benefits Heart Health

by | May 3, 2016 | 2013, Cardiovascular Health, Lutein

Written by Greg Arnold, DC, CSCS. Individuals given lutein saw a 75.3% decrease in the inflammatory protein IL-6.

Defined as “the narrowing of the coronary arteries due to fatty buildups of plaque” (1), the process of  atherosclerosis is initiated by the presence of inflammation in blood vessels (2). Atherosclerosis eventually leads to coronary heart disease, which caused 445,687 deaths in 2005, is the single leading cause of death in America today (1) and costs our healthcare system $448 billion per year (3).

While folic acid (4), lycopene (5), and fiber (6) have been shown to benefit blood vessel health, a new study (7) suggests lutein may also be a benefit to blood vessel health in several ways. The study involved 65 patients diagnosed with “early atherosclerosis”, defined as having blood vessel wall thickness greater than 750 micrometers in those under 59 years of age and greater than 850 micrometers in those over 60 years of age (8). They received either 20 milligrams of lutein (34 patients) or placebo (31 patients) per day for 3 months. Blood samples were drawn before and after the study to measure for lutein levels as well as inflammatory proteins, cholesterol, and triglycerides.

At the end of 3 months, those in the lutein group saw a 235% increase in blood lutein levels (0.17 to 0.57 micromoles/Liter) compared to no change in the placebo group (0.13 to 0.13 micromol/L, p < 0.001). In addition, those in the lutein group saw a 75.3% decrease in the inflammatory protein interleukin-6 (197.38 to 48.78 picograms/milliliter) compared to a 41.4% decrease in the placebo group (86.19 to 50.58, p < 0.05) as well a 24.6% decrease in another inflammatory protein thought to be a marker of blood vessel dysfunction in early atherosclerosis called MCP-1 (9) (442.05 to 333.7 pg/mL) compared to a 3% decrease in the placebo group (399.17 to 387.2 pg/mL, p < 0.05).

Finally, those in the lutein group saw a 9.4% decrease in LDL cholesterol (2.98 to 2.7 millimoles/Liter) compared to a 5.3% decrease in the placebo group (3.07 to 2.91 mmol/L, p < 0.05) and a 34.6% decrease in triglycerides (1.94 to 1.23 mmol/L) compared to a 22.5% decrease in the placebo group (1.81 to 1.585 mmol/L, p < 0.05).

For the researchers, “These results add to the growing literature on the potential protective effects of lutein in atherosclerosis through anti-inflammatory effects and preservation of endothelial function.”

Source: Xu, Xian-Rong, Zhi-Yong Zou, Xin Xiao, Yang-Mu Huang, Xun Wang, and Xiao-Ming Lin. “Effects of lutein supplement on serum inflammatory cytokines, ApoE and lipid profiles in early atherosclerosis population.” Journal of atherosclerosis and thrombosis 20, no. 2 (2013): 170-177.

Posted August 7, 2014.

Greg Arnold is a Chiropractic Physician practicing in Hauppauge, NY.  You can contact Dr. Arnold directly by emailing him atPitchingDoc@msn.com or visiting his web site at www.PitchingDoc.com.

References:

  1. “Cardiovascular Disease Statistics” posted on American Heart Association Website
  2. Packard RRS, Libby P. Inflammation in atherosclerosis: from vascular biology to biomarker discovery and risk prediction. Clin Chem 2008; 54:24-38.
  3. “Cardiovascular Disease at a Glance” posted on the CDC website
  4. Mierzecki A. Association between low-dose folic acid supplementation and blood lipids concentrations in male and female subjects with atherosclerosis risk factors. Med Sci Monit 2013 Sep 4;19:733-9. doi: 10.12659/MSM.889087
  5. Yoe HY. Independent inverse relationship between serum lycopene concentration
  6. and arterial stiffness . Atherosclerosis 2009. Published online ahead of print, 13 August 2009, doi: 10.1016/j.atherosclerosis.2009.08.009
  7. Wallstrom P, Sonestedt E, Hlebowicz J, Ericson U, Drake I, et al. (2012) Dietary Fiber and Saturated Fat Intake Associations with Cardiovascular Disease Differ by Sex in the Malmo¨ Diet and Cancer Cohort: A Prospective Study. PLoS ONE 7(2): e31637. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0031637
  8. Xu XR. Effects of lutein supplement on serum inflammatory cytokines, ApoE and lipid profiles in early atherosclerosis population. J Atheroscler Thromb. 2013 Feb 22;20(2):170-7. Epub 2012 Nov 15
  9. Dogan S. Meancommon or mean maximum carotidintima-media thickness as primary outcome in lipid-modifying intervention studies. J Atheroscler Thromb. 2011;18(11):946-57. Epub 2011 Aug 16.
  10. Yada A. MCP-1: chemoattractant with a role beyond immunity: a review. Clin Chim Acta. 2010 Nov 11;411(21-22):1570-9. doi: 10.1016/j.cca.2010.07.006. Epub 2010 Jul 13.