Effects of chronic consumption of fruit and vegetable puree-based drinks on vasodilation, plasma oxidative stability and antioxidant status

• Published in: Journal of human nutrition and dietetics Vol. 25; no. 5; pp. 477 - 487
• Main Authors: George, T. W., Paterson, E., Waroonphan, S., Gordon, M. H., Lovegrove, J. A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.10.2012; Blackwell
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Antioxidants; Antioxidants - metabolism; Antioxidants - pharmacology; Ascorbic Acid - administration & dosage; Beverages; Bioavailability; Biological and medical sciences; cardiovascular disease; Cardiovascular Diseases - blood; Cardiovascular Diseases - epidemiology; carotenoids; Carotenoids - administration & dosage; Cross-Over Studies; Feeding. Feeding behavior; Female; Fruit; Fruits; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Nutrition research; Oxidation-Reduction; Oxygen - blood; Oxygen - metabolism; Phytochemicals; Seasons; vascular function; Vasodilation - drug effects; Vasodilation - physiology; Vegetables; Vertebrates: anatomy and physiology, studies on body, several organs or systems; Human; vascular function; Vegetables; Fruit; carotenoids; Cardiovascular disease; Antioxidant; Vasodilation; Blood plasma; Vasomotricity; Chronic; Vegetable puree; fruits; Food intake; Carotenoid
• ISSN: 0952-3871; 1365-277X; 1365-277X
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-277X.2012.01279.x

Background Fruit and vegetable‐rich diets are associated with a reduced cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. This protective effect may be a result of the phytochemicals present within fruits and vegetables (F&V). However, there can be considerable variation in the content of phytochemical composition of whole F&V depending on growing location, cultivar, season and agricultural practices, etc. Therefore, the present study investigated the effects of consuming fruits and vegetables as puree‐based drinks (FVPD) daily on vasodilation, phytochemical bioavailability, antioxidant status and other CVD risk factors. FVPD was chosen to provide a standardised source of F&V material that could be delivered from the same batch to all subjects during each treatment arm of the study. Methods Thirty‐nine subjects completed the randomised, controlled, cross‐over dietary intervention. Subjects were randomised to consume 200 mL of FVPD (or fruit‐flavoured control), daily for 6 weeks with an 8‐week washout period between treatments. Dietary intake was measured using two 5‐day diet records during each cross‐over arm of the study. Blood and urine samples were collected before and after each intervention and vasodilation assessed in 19 subjects using laser Doppler imaging with iontophoresis. Results FVPD significantly increased dietary vitamin C and carotenoids (P < 0.001), and concomitantly increased plasma α‐ and β‐carotene (P < 0.001) with a near‐significant increase in endothelium‐dependent vasodilation (P = 0.060). Conclusions Overall, the findings obtained in the present study showed that FVPD were a useful vehicle to increase fruit and vegetable intake, significantly increasing dietary and plasma phytochemical concentrations with a trend towards increased endothelium‐dependent vasodilation.