Chronic consumption of a low calorie, high polyphenol cranberry beverage attenuates inflammation and improves glucoregulation and HDL cholesterol in healthy overweight humans: a randomized controlled trial

• Published in: European journal of nutrition Vol. 58; no. 3; pp. 1223 - 1235
• Main Authors: Chew, Boon, Mathison, Bridget, Kimble, Lindsey, McKay, Diane, Kaspar, Kerrie, Khoo, Christina, Chen, C.-Y. Oliver, Blumberg, Jeffrey
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer Berlin Heidelberg 01-04-2019; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Adipose tissue; Adult; Aged; Antioxidants; Beverages; Biomarkers - blood; Biomarkers - urine; Body weight; C-reactive protein; Cardiovascular diseases; Chemistry; Chemistry and Materials Science; Cholesterol; Cholesterol, HDL - blood; Cholesterol, HDL - drug effects; Cholesterol, HDL - urine; Double-Blind Method; Endothelin 1; Endothelins; Evidence-based medicine; Female; Glucose - metabolism; Glucose tolerance; Glucose Tolerance Test; Glutathione; Health risk assessment; High density lipoprotein; Hip; Humans; Inflammation; Inflammation - prevention & control; Insulin; Interferon; Lipid metabolism; Lipid Metabolism - drug effects; Male; Middle Aged; Nitric oxide; Nutrition; Original Contribution; Overweight; Overweight - blood; Overweight - metabolism; Overweight - urine; Oxidative stress; Oxidative Stress - drug effects; Plant Extracts - administration & dosage; Plant Extracts - pharmacology; Polyphenols - administration & dosage; Polyphenols - pharmacology; Risk factors; Urine; Vaccinium macrocarpon; Blood glucose; Oxidative stress; Cardiovascular disease; Inflammation; Vaccinium macrocarpon
• ISSN: 1436-6207; 1436-6215
• DOI: 10.1007/s00394-018-1643-z

Purpose
We studied the health benefits of low calorie cranberry beverage consumption on glucoregulation, oxidative damage, inflammation, and lipid metabolism in overweight but otherwise healthy humans.
Methods
78 overweight or obese men and women (30–70 years; BMI 27–35 kg/m
2
) with abdominal adiposity (waist: hip > 0.8 for women and > 0.9 for men; waist: height ≥ 0.5) consumed 450 mL placebo or low calorie, high polyphenol cranberry extract beverage (CEB) daily for 8 week in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel design trial. Blood and urine samples were collected after overnight fast at baseline and after 8 weeks of daily beverage consumption. Blood and urine samples were also collected during 3 oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) challenges: (1) pre-intervention without the test beverages, (2) following a single dose of placebo or CEB at baseline (week 0), and (3) following a single dose of placebo or CEB at 8 week.
Results
Compared to placebo, a single CEB dose at baseline lowered endothelin-1 and elevated nitric oxide and the reduced:oxidized glutathione ratio (
P
 < 0.05). Interferon-γ was elevated (
P
 < 0.05) after a single CEB dose at baseline; however, after 8 week of CEB intervention, fasting C-reactive protein was lower (
P
 < 0.05). CEB consumption for 8 week also reduced serum insulin and increased HDL cholesterol compared to placebo (
P
 < 0.05).
Conclusions
An acute dose of low calorie, high polyphenol cranberry beverage improved antioxidant status, while 8 week daily consumption reduced cardiovascular disease risk factors by improving glucoregulation, downregulating inflammatory biomarkers, and increasing HDL cholesterol.