Effects of Juice Plus+® Supplementation on Endothelial Function in Overweight Men
Complete Project
Title:
Effects of Juice Plus+® Supplementation on Endothelial Function in Overweight Men
Status:
Completed
Topic:
Cardiovascular Health / Endothelial Function*
Funding Source:
NSA Corporation
Funding Period:
2009-2010
Study Design:
Randomized controlled trial
Purpose:
Peripheral obesity is one of the hallmarks of the metabolic syndrome, which in turn is a risk factor for heart disease. Research suggests that antioxidants found in fruits and vegetables (such as beta carotene and vitamins C and E) may help blood vessels to dilate properly, thus potentially reducing the risk of heart disease. We wanted to explore whether fruits and vegetables, when concentrated into capsules, can help improve markers of cardiovascular risk – such as endothelial function testing – and markers of oxidative stress in overweight men with risk factors for metabolic syndrome after 8 weeks of daily Juice Plus supplementation.
Further Study Details:
70 participants were randomly assigned to one of two groups. One group took Juice Plus capsules daily for 8 weeks, while the other took placebo capsules daily for 8 weeks. All participants were assessed for endothelial function and oxidative stress biomarkers before and after the treatment period.
Findings:
Juice Plus supplements did not improve markers for cardiovascular risk and oxidative stress in overweight men with risk factors for metabolic syndrome after 8 weeks of intake. Possible explanations for the lack of improvement in markers of cardiovascular risk and oxidative stress include the small sample size, an inadequate dose, and/or the short duration of the clinical trial.
Eligibility:
Overweight men with increased waist circumference and risk factors for metabolic syndrome
Yale-Griffin Prevention Research Center