Low-Cal Nutrition Bar Improves Biological Risk Factors Linked To Heart Disease

A low-calorie fruit-based, high-fiber nutrition bar rich in vitamins and minerals has been tested successfully in small U.S. clinical trials and found to lead to favorable metabolic changes after only two weeks. Participants in the studies at the “CHORI-bar” (from the Children's Hospital Oakland Research Institute) twice a day for two weeks. Researchers found that eating the bar improved biological indicators – increased HDL-c and glutathione, and lowered homocysteine – all of which have been linked to risk of cardiovascular disease, cognitive decline, and associated decline in antioxidant defenses. The researchers have developed two additional bars that expand the number of biomarkers improved by the bar to include measures of insulin resistance, inflammation, etc.