DATE SEED – A NATURAL REMEDY FOR ATHEROSCLEROSIS?
Atherosclerosis is a disease of the arteries characterized by the deposition of fatty material on their inner walls.
Atherosclerosis is a disease in which plaque builds up inside your arteries.
Arteries are blood vessels that carry oxygen-rich blood to your heart and other parts of your body.
Plaque is made up of fat, cholesterol, calcium, and other substances found in the blood. Over time, plaque hardens and narrows your arteries.
This limits the flow of oxygen-rich blood to your organs and other parts of your body.
Atherosclerosis can lead to serious problems, including heart attack, stroke, or even death.
Atherosclerosis is the primary cause of heart disease and stroke.
Epidemiological studies have revealed that it is the underlying cause of about 50% of all deaths in the world (Lusis, 2002).
The decreasing of the concentrations of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and increasing of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol are the major cause of Coronary heart disease (Baliga et al., 2011).
A recent issue of Food & Function, a journal of The Royal Society of Chemistry (Aviram et al, 2015) analyzed the anti-oxidative properties of the above extracts: their ability to scavenge free radicals and to inhibit copper ion-induced LDL oxidation.
They analyzed the anti-oxidative properties of the date seed extract: its ability to scavenge free radicals and to inhibit copper ion-induced LDL oxidation.
Results showed that the date seed extract (0–5 μg GAE mL−1) possesses impressive free radical scavenging capacity, as it dose-dependently decreased DPPH absorbance at 517 nm by up to 57%.
They then pre-incubated LDL with the above extracts (0–5 μg GAE mL−1), followed by the addition of copper ions.
The extent of LDL oxidation was determined by the TBARS assay, and by the lipid peroxides assay.
The date seed extract significantly decreased the LDL-associated aldehyde (TBARS) levels by up to 83%.
Similarly, LDL-associated lipid peroxide levels were decreased by 99%.
A rich source of phenolic radical scavenger antioxidants, the date seed also inhibits the oxidation of LDL (the so-called “bad cholesterol”) and stimulates the removal of cholesterol from lipid-laden arterial cells.
In the trial performed on arterial cells in culture, as well as in atherosclerotic mice, the team of researchers found that the triple combination of pomegranate juice, date fruits, and date pits did indeed provide maximum protection against the development of atherosclerosis because the combination reduced oxidative stress in the arterial wall by 33% and decreased arterial cholesterol content by 28%.
Each cup of our date seed coffee contains about 7 date seeds!
