Oil Blend Naturally Knocked Down Blood Pressure & Cholesterol

A special blend of sesame and rice bran oils could be a potential non-drug option for treating high blood pressure and cholesterol, according to new research reported on HuffPost Healthy Living.

The study included 300 people in New Delhi, India, with hypertension. A third of the participants used a common drug called nifedipine; another third used an ounce of a specially made blend of sesame and rice bran oils to cook with every day; and the final third took the drug and cooked with the oil blend. All three groups used their assigned treatments for 60 days.

The researchers found that all three groups of people -- including those not taking the drug -- had a decrease in their blood pressure levels.

The oil blend also seemed to make a difference on cholesterol levels. Researchers found that those who cooked with the oil blend had 26 percent lower "bad" cholesterol levels and 9.5 percent higher "good" cholesterol levels by the end of the study period. Meanwhile, those who cooked with the oil blend and took the blood pressure-lowering drug had 27 percent lower "bad" cholesterol levels and 10.9 percent higher "good" cholesterol levels.

But people who didn't cook with the oils didn't experience any cholesterol benefit.

"Rice bran oil, like sesame oil, is low in saturated fat and appears to improve a patient's cholesterol profile," study researcher Dr. Devarajan Sankar, M.D, Ph.D., a research scientist at Fukuoka University Chikushi Hospital in Japan, said in a statement. "Additionally, it may reduce heart disease risk in other ways, including being a substitute for less healthy oils and fats in the diet."

Here's The Full Story In The Huffington Post Healthy Living Section