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We would usually consider food coloring as something not so natural, and pretty unhealthy if anything.<\/p>\nWe would usually consider food coloring as something not so natural, and pretty unhealthy if anything.<\/p>\n
Researchers from Sweden’s Link\u00f6ping University,<\/em> however, decided to investigate a specific type of food color. One that could possibly prevent cholesterol buildup in the heart arteries.<\/p>\n And the results were astonishing.<\/p>\n Lutein is a yellow pigment that makes many vegetables and fruits colorful.<\/p>\n The most common sources are spinach, kale, broccoli, carrots, yellow peppers, oranges, avocado, squash, sweet corn, egg yolk, tomatoes, paprika, parsley, and cayenne pepper.<\/p>\n It\u2019s long been claimed to be a powerful weapon against inflammation.<\/p>\n To put this to a test, researchers identified 134 people with stable angina and 59 with acute coronary syndrome and measured the amount of several carotenoids and inflammation in their blood.<\/p>\n For inflammation, they used a compound called Interleukin 6 (IL-6), which is one of the best indicators of inflammation.<\/p>\n Unsurprisingly, they found those with the highest lutein levels had substantially lower inflammation in their bodies than those with low lutein.<\/p>\n And what does this have to do with cardiovascular health? EVERYTHING<\/U>!<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n Because it doesn\u2019t matter how much cholesterol you actually have in the blood stream. What matters is how much gets stuck in the heart arteries.<\/p>\n And the reason cholesterol gets stuck in the heart is oxidation and inflammation. Those with less inflammation are less likely to have cholesterol plaque buildup than those with high inflammation.<\/p>\n