By Kathleen J. Burkhalter



    BOSTON, Aug. 8 /EMWNews/ -- Francis, 50, never imagined that

drinking a high anti-oxidant fruit beverage every day could help protect

his health -- in just 1 week. That's what he found out after participating

in a clinical trial near his home in Los Angeles, Calif.



    A new study conducted by Bell Ventures, shows that after just 7 days,

platelet aggregation, a known indicator of cardiovascular disease (CVD),

was significantly reduced in many of the participants who took the

anti-oxidant product, ViaViente, twice a day.



    David Bell, President of Bell Ventures, said, "These results are

important because they show how a natural anti-oxidant and

anti-inflammatory product like ViaViente can help protect against one of

our most serious health concerns."



    Health experts recommend a daily intake of anti-oxidants, especially in

their natural form. Oxidative stress causes damage to cells and contributes

to aging and disease. Anti-oxidants combat effects of oxidative stress such

as inflammation.



    A recent independent report, A Consumer Conscious Look at Six Premium

Anti-Oxidant Products, by Frank Ervolino, ND, shows that ViaViente

outperformed other popular products using ORAC -- an industry standard for

anti-oxidant testing. This is an important indication of quality and

potential benefits.



    Clinical research shows the connection between what's in the product

and actual outcomes in human health.



    The ViaViente study takes direct aim at the benefits to cardiovascular

health of consuming a non-drug, natural food product. It correlates the

consumption of ViaViente to platelet inhibition -- a marker of CVD.



    Why is cardiovascular health so important? The American Heart

Association reports that approximately 80 million people in the United

States have CVD; nearly 2,400 people die of CVD every day; more people die

from CVD than from cancer, auto accidents, and Type 2 diabetes combined; an

estimated 1.2 million Americans will have new or recurrent heart attacks in

2008.



    Little wonder cardiovascular care is one of our most serious health

concerns.



    The study uses an established test to measure the reduction of

thromboxane in human metabolism. Thromboxane contributes to

vasoconstriction, which can increase blood pressure, and platelet

stickiness which can lead to clot formation. Both are associated with

higher incidence of serious cardiovascular events. Reducing the production

of thromboxane can help reduce vasoconstriction and platelet stickiness.



    Experts agree that there is a well established relationship between

thromboxane and cardiovascular function. In fact, clinical research on it

was pioneered by drug companies looking for its relationship to aspirin

therapy.



    Research indicates that natural anti-oxidants can be effective in

reducing thromboxane. The objective of this study was to measure the

effectiveness of a proven antioxidant product, ViaViente, at reducing

thromboxane in humans, and having a demonstrable benefit to cardiovascular

health.



    The study investigated the effects of the recommended daily dose of

ViaViente for 1 week after a washout period. Sixteen subjects successfully

completed the protocol.



    Results fell into two categories: significant improvement or no

significant change. After just one week, 38% of the subjects showed

significant improvement: an average of 16%.



    The research team is planning a second phase that will measure results

in the same subjects over one month. Bell said that he expects to see an

even greater benefit among more participants.



    In the mean time, Francis plans to continue taking ViaViente every day.



    Kathleen J. Burkhalter is currently in the Masters in Journalism

program at Harvard University. She lives in Massachusetts. You can contact

the author at [email protected].






    Contact:

    David Bell

    [email protected]