A pilot sweet cherry feeding study in overweight men: Tolerance, safety, and anthocyanin exposure

Dark Sweet Cherry (Prunus avium) Supplementation Reduced Blood Pressure and Pro-Inflammatory Interferon Gamma (IFNγ) in Obese Adults without Affecting Lipid Profile, Glucose Levels and Liver Enzymes

Dark sweet cherries (DSC) are rich in fiber and polyphenols that decrease risk factors associated with obesity. This single-blind randomized placebo-controlled study investigated DSC effects on inflammation, cardiometabolic, and liver health biomarkers in obese adults. Participants (>18 years, body mass index (BMI) = 30-40 kg/m²) consumed 200 mL of DSC drink (juice supplemented with DSC powder) (n = 19) or a placebo drink (n = 21) twice/day for 30 days. Anthropometric and physiological biomarkers were monitored at baseline (D1), mid-point (D15), and endpoint (D30) visits. Blood inflammatory biomarkers were assessed at D1, D15, and D30, and blood lipids, glucose, and liver enzymes at D1 and D30. DSC consumption lowered systolic blood pressure (SBP) (p = 0.05) and decreased diastolic blood pressure (DBP) compared to placebo (p = 0.04). Stratification of participants by BMI revealed a greater (p = 0.008) SBP reduction in BMI > 35 participants. DSC lowered pro-inflammatory interferon-gamma (IFNγ) (p = 0.001), which correlated with SBP changes. The interleukin (IL)-1RA and SBP changes were correlated in the placebo group, as well as triglycerides (TG) with DBP. The increased IL-10 levels in the placebo group suggested a compensatory mechanism to counteract elevated IFNγ levels. No significant between-group differences were detected for blood lipids, glucose, and liver enzymes. In conclusion, DSC helped to decrease blood pressure levels and inflammation in obese adults.

Plant-Based Foods and Their Bioactive Compounds on Fatty Liver Disease: Effects, Mechanisms, and Clinical Application

Fatty liver disease (FLD), including nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and alcoholic fatty liver disease (AFLD), is a serious chronic metabolic disease that affects a wide range of people. Lipid accumulation accompanied by oxidative stress and inflammation in the liver is the most important pathogenesis of FLD. The plant-based, high-fiber, and low-fat diet has been recommended to manage FLD for a long time. This review discusses the current state of the art into the effects, mechanisms, and clinical application of plant-based foods in NAFLD and AFLD, with highlighting related molecular mechanisms. Epidemiological evidence revealed that the consumption of several plant-based foods was beneficial to alleviating FLD. Further experimental studies found out that fruits, spices, teas, coffee, and other plants, as well as their bioactive compounds, such as resveratrol, anthocyanin, curcumin, and tea polyphenols, could alleviate FLD by ameliorating hepatic steatosis, oxidative stress, inflammation, gut dysbiosis, and apoptosis, as well as regulating autophagy and ethanol metabolism. More importantly, clinical trials confirmed the beneficial effects of plant-based foods on patients with fatty liver. However, several issues need to be further studied especially the safety and effective doses of plant-based foods and their bioactive compounds. Overall, certain plant-based foods are promising natural sources of bioactive compounds to prevent and alleviate fatty liver disease.

Authentic tart cherry juice reduces markers of inflammation in overweight and obese subjects: a randomized, crossover pilot study

Subclinical inflammation is frequently noted in chronic diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease (CVD) and obesity. Accumulating epidemiological evidence demonstrates that diets rich in vegetables and fruits, e.g., cherries, may significantly reduce the risk of chronic disease, in part, via antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. In this randomized, placebo-controlled crossover study, we recruited 10 at-risk participants (38.1 ± 12.5 years; 8 females, 2 males) with BMI >25.0 kg m-2 (32.2 ± 4.6 kg m-2; 5 obese, 5 overweight) to consume 240 mL (8 ounces) daily of either 100% tart cherry juice (TCJ) or an alternate placebo beverage, for 4 weeks with a 2-week intervening washout period before switching to the alternate beverage for four weeks. Fasting blood samples were collected at the beginning and end of each arm for measurement of biomarkers of inflammation. The erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), an indicator of chronic inflammation, was significantly (p < 0.05) lower with TCJ than with the placebo beverage, which increased ESR by 19%. Mean baseline hsCRP, an indicator of acute inflammation, was 7.0 ± 5.2 mg L-1 and consumption of TCJ did not affect hsCRP levels. The chemokine MCP-1 and cytokine TNF-alpha were lower in participants after consuming TCJ compared to those consuming the placebo beverage. Plasma IL-6 and IL-l0 were not different between treatments. Collectively, the data suggest that authentic 100% TCJ may reduce biomarkers of inflammation often noted in chronic disease and may be a preferable dietary selection compared to artificially flavored beverages with added sugars.

Food intake biomarkers for apple, pear, and stone fruit

Fruit is a key component of a healthy diet. However, it is still not clear whether some classes of fruit may be more beneficial than others and whether all individuals whatever their age, gender, health status, genotype, or gut microbiota composition respond in the same way to fruit consumption. Such questions require further observational and intervention studies in which the intake of a specific fruit can be precisely assessed at the population and individual levels. Within the Food Biomarker Alliance Project (FoodBAll Project) under the Joint Programming Initiative “A Healthy Diet for a Healthy Life”, an ambitious action was undertaken aiming at reviewing existent literature in a systematic way to identify validated and promising biomarkers of intake for all major food groups, including fruits. This paper belongs to a series of reviews following the same BFIRev protocol and is focusing on biomarkers of pome and stone fruit intake. Selected candidate biomarkers extracted from the literature search went through a validation process specifically developed for food intake biomarkers.