How to live longer: Kalonji shown to lower cholesterol and blood sugar – what is it?

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There’s no getting around it: longevity is subject to chance. However, it may be less so than you imagine. The lifestyle decisions you make can significantly shorten or lengthen your lifespan. That’s because the world’s deadliest killer – heart disease – is largely preventable if you lead a healthy lifestyle.

It is hard to overstate the protective benefits of eating a healthy, balanced diet.

Not least because it staves off the precursors to heart disease, such as high cholesterol and high blood sugar levels.

Both cholesterol and high blood sugar level share many similarities.

Both substances can damage the blood vessels that supply blood to the heart and high blood sugar levels can raise harmful cholesterol levels.

There is no single dietary solution but evidence does suggest certain items can offer protection against both so it is worth adding them to your diet.

One of the most promising is kanlonji, which belongs to the buttercup family of flowering plants.

Take blood sugar levels first. Some evidence shows that kalonji could help keep blood sugar steady and thus ward off its adverse side effects.

One review of seven studies showed that supplementing with kalonji improved levels of fasting and average blood sugar.

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Similarly, another study in 94 people found that taking kalonji daily for three months significantly reduced fasting blood sugar, average blood sugar and insulin resistance.

Insulin is a hormone that regulates blood sugar levels so enhancing insulin is paramount to controlling blood sugar.

Combating cholesterol

One review of 17 studies found that supplementing with kalonji was associated with significant decreases in both total and “bad” LDL cholesterol, as well as blood triglycerides.

LDL cholesterol is the harmful type of cholesterol that clings to the inside of your artery walls, thereby raising your risk of heart disease (blood triglycerides are substances that produce a similar sinister effect).

Interestingly, it also found that kalonji oil had a greater effect than kalonji seed powder.

However, only seed powder increased levels of “good” HDL cholesterol.

HDL cholesterol counters the harmful effects of LDL cholesterol by picking it up and transporting it to your liver.

Another study in 57 people with diabetes showed that supplementing with kalonji for one year decreased total and LDL cholesterol, all while increasing HDL cholesterol.

Lastly, a study in 94 people with diabetes had similar findings, reporting that taking two grams of kalonji daily for 12 weeks reduced both total and LDL cholesterol.

General dietary tips to lower heart disease risk

According to the NHS, a low-fat, high-fibre diet is recommended, which should include plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables (five portions a day) and whole grains.

“You should limit the amount of salt you eat to no more than six grams (0.2oz) a day as too much salt will increase your blood pressure,” advises the health body.

Six grams of salt is about one teaspoonful.

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