Cardiovascular health is a leading concern for most adults. Maintaining balanced cholesterol levels is an important part of that process. When we think of reducing cholesterol, we think of reducing the cholesterol consumed through food. However, many people don't realize that cholesterol levels circulating in your blood are primarily produced and controlled by the liver using the enzyme HMG-CoA reductase. Therefore, liver and enzyme functionality play as significant a role as what cholesterol you ingest. Because of HMG-CoA's role in the liver's production of circulating cholesterol, medical practice has involved inhibiting HMG-CoA reductase. There are additional approaches to improving your liver's function and therefore improving cholesterol levels.
Numerous clinical trials have shown the specific Bergamot Bioactive Polyphenolic Fractions (BPF) found in Bergamot BPF (a special citrus derivative) support the liver and help maintain healthy cholesterol levels and protect coronary arteries by maintaining inflammatory balance.
Bergamot BPF contains a powerful array of cholesterol-balancing and cardio-protective polyphenolic flavonoids. Emerging clinical research has demonstrated that BPF helps maintain healthy total cholesterol (TC), high density lipoprotein (HDL), low density lipoprotein (LDL), very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) and triglyceride (TG) levels.
Bergamot is a citrus plant that grows almost exclusively in the costal Calabria region of southern Italy. It's health benefits derive from its unique profile of phenolic compounds. One of the compounds, Naringin, has been shown to be beneficial in maintaining inflammatory balance in arteries, while others like neoeriocitrin and rutin have been found to exhibit a strong capacity to quench free radicals and maintain healthy LDL cholesterol levels. Also, bergamot is rich in brutieridine and melitidine, which have a unique ability to dampen HMG-CoA reductase.
There have been numerous studies on Bergamot's effect on cholesterol levels and cardiovascular health. In a placebo-controlled study involving 238 patients, 1,000 mg of BPF maintained healthy cholesterol levels and outperformed the group receiving the traditional therapy. Following a 60-day wash-out phase in patients who had been on traditional therapies, 1,500 mg of BPF maintained normal LDL levels and optimized several other parameters of cardiovascular health. Several other recently published placebo-controlled clinical trials have also documented that BPF can help support normal inflammatory balance, antioxidant potential, healthy cholesterol levels, and CoQ-10 levels.
Uses include:
- Support for cardiovascular health
- Promotes healthy cholesterol levels
- Supports healthy CoQ-10 levels
- Helps maintain healthy arterial inflammatory balance
To Your Health!
Mike Woodley, RPh
References:
1. Mollace V, Sacco I, Janda E, Malara C, Ventrice D, Colica C, Visalli V, Muscoli S, Ragusa S and Muscoli C. Hypolipemic and hypoglycaemic activity of bergamot polyphenols: from animal models to human studies. Fitoterapia. 2011;82:309-316.
2. Di Donna L, Iacopetta D, Cappello AR, Gallucci G, Martello E, Fiorillo M, Dolce V and Sindona G. Hypocholesterolaemic activity of 3-hydroxy-3-methyl-glutaryl flavanones enriched fraction from bergamot fruit (Citrus bergamia):“In vivo” studies. Journal of Functional Foods. 2014;7:558-568.
3. Campolongo G, Riccioni CV, Raparelli V, Spoletini I, Marazzi G, Vitale C and Volterrani M. The combination of nutraceutical and simvastatin enhances the effect of simvastatin alone in normalising lipid profile without side effects in patients with ischemic heart disease. IJC Metabolic & Endocrine. 2016;11:3-6.
4. Cappello A, Dolce V, Iacopetta D, Martello M, Fiorillo M, Curcio R, Muto L and Dhanyalayam D. Bergamot (Citrus bergamia Risso) Flavonoids and Their Potential Benefits in Human Hyperlipidemia and Atherosclerosis: an Overview. Mini reviews in medicinal chemistry. 2015.
5. Giglio RV, Patti AM, Nikolic D, Volti GL, Al-Rasadi K, Katsiki N, Mikhailidis DP, Montalto G, Ivanova E and Orekhov AN. The effect of bergamot on dyslipidemia. Phytomedicine. 2015.