A new study has reported that a Mediterranean diet, a low-fat diet and a low carbohydrate diet are all effective in assisting obese people to reverse the effects of arteriosclerosis. Arteriosclerosis is a slow and progressive process in which a plaque buildup in the arteries causes them to thicken. This leads to an increased risk of heart attacks and strokes.

The study was carried out by researchers at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, the Nuclear Research Center and Soroka Hospital in Israel. The research compared the effects of the three diets among overweight participants who were at high risk of arteriosclerosis. Researchers studied 140 people (88 percent men, average age 51, average body mass index 30.4 kg/m2) from the Nuclear Research Center Negev Apart from the reduction of thickening in the arteries, participants in the diets also showed greater weight loss, a reduction in blood pressure and an increase in apolipoprotein A1 (Apo A1) which is a major component of “good” cholesterol.

The study says that the findings highlight the potential of diet as a lifestyle strategy to promote better cardiovascular health. Rather than the nutrient content of the three diets, it was the sustained and moderate weight loss that led to the improvements.”Long-term adherence to weight-loss diets is effective for reversing carotid atherosclerosis as long as we stick to one of the current options of healthy diet strategy,” said Iris Shai, R.D., and Ph.D.

Even though weight-loss medication such as Xenical is available, it is clear that other common sense precautions such as diet and moderate weight loss are also effective strategies in reversing the progress of arteriosclerosis.

A new line of prepaid cards from PreCash, Inc. will better serve the 65 million Americans who choose not to use traditional payment methods. Instead of using credit cards, bank accounts and debit cards, millions of customers pay with cash. Vision Visa® Prepaid Cards provide these customers with the convenience of electronic payment with the benefits of paying in cash.

One card in this line is the Vision Platinum Visa® Prepaid Card, and it’s the first general purpose reloadable prepaid credit card with free transactions. PreCash offers this card for cash paying customers interested in using electronic payment as a lifestyle for multiple purchases every month. It provides free transactions, including free PIN transactions and ATM use, and it’s for customers who spend $1,000 or more every month.

If customers don’t fit in that category, there are other cards as part of the Vision Visa Prepaid brand (www.visionprepaid.com). The goal of this brand is to offer flexible pricing and greater choices for prepaid card customers, so each customer can choose the features they need to fit their diverse lifestyle. Services customers can choose from in each of the plans—Vision Preferred, Vision Premier and Vision Platinum—include text message and email alerts, online bill pay, Direct Deposit and more.

“No one else has something like this,” says John Chaney, chairman and CEO, PreCash. “Consumers are realizing prepaid cards can be their best alternative to credit cards and bank accounts for everyday payment needs. Our Vision Platinum Card rewards the person who uses a prepaid card frequently with free transactions, and we have cards that work well for any user regardless of how often they need it. We are the first to offer this much choice and control.”

Pricing plans include:

Vision Platinum Visa Prepaid Card. This is the first reloadable card with free transactions (PIN and ATM). It’s for customers spending at least $1,000 per month.

Vision Premier® Visa® Prepaid Card. This is a card that provides Direct Deposit options but limits spending to no more than $1,000 per month.

Vision Preferred® Visa® Prepaid Card. This is a card that’s a reliable payment vehicle and allows customers to reload the card at retail locations.

“Vision Prepaid Visa Cards are flexible,” added Chaney. “Choose what’s best for you now, and switch to another pricing plan as your needs change.”

No longer does the one size fits all approach work for prepaid cards, Chaney notes. “Our approach can be boiled down to this: However you’re living, we’ve got the card for you.”

PreCash was founded in 1998 to serve customers who don’t use credit cards or debit cards. Instead of using these traditional payment models, PreCash provides prepaid payment options and other services to increase the buying power of this consumer segment by converting cash into electronic payments. PreCash also provides its 5 million customers with prepaid debit card program management services, real-time cash bill payments, prepaid wireless refills, payroll card products and more. There are more than 25,000 participating businesses nationwide.