The Influence of Tart Cherry ( Prunus cerasus, cv Montmorency) Concentrate Supplementation for 3 Months on Cardiometabolic Risk Factors in Middle-Aged Adults: A Randomised, Placebo-Controlled Trial

• Published in: Nutrients 2021-04, Vol.13 (5), p.1417
• Main Authors: Kimble, Rachel, Keane, Karen M, Lodge, John K, Howatson, Glyn
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adults; Anthocyanins; Anti-inflammatory agents; Antioxidants; Blood pressure; C-reactive protein; cardiovascular disease; Cherries; Clinical trials; Diabetes; Dietary supplements; Disease; Exercise; Fruits; Health risks; Heart beat; Heart rate; Hormone replacement therapy; Hypertension; Inflammation; Insulin; Lipids; metabolic health; Metabolism; Metabolites; Middle age; Mortality; Nitric oxide; Physical fitness; Placebos; Prunus cerasus; Questionnaires; Risk analysis; Risk factors; tart cherry; Type 2 diabetes; vascular function; Wave velocity
• ISSN: 2072-6643; 2072-6643
• DOI: 10.3390/nu13051417

Tart Montmorency cherries (MC) have been shown to be rich in anthocyanins and other phytochemicals known to have anti-inflammatory properties and influence pathways that might improve cardiometabolic health. However, there is limited evidence for the longer-term use of tart cherries on these indices. The aim of the current study was to investigate the influence of MC concentrate on cardiometabolic health indices following a 3-month supplementation period. Fifty middle-aged adults (34 males and 16 females; mean ± SD age: 48 ± 6 years and BMI: 27.6 ± 3.7 kg/m ) completed a randomised, placebo-controlled parallel study in which they either received MC or an isocaloric placebo. Participants drank 30 mL of their allocated treatment twice per day for 3 months. Vascular function (blood pressure [BP], heart rate [HR], pulse wave velocity and analysis [PWV/A], and flow mediated dilation [FMD]) as well as indices of metabolic health (insulin, glucose, lipid profiles, and high sensitivity C reactive protein) were measured following an overnight fast before and after the 3 months. No effect of the intervention between the groups was observed for vascular function or metabolic health variables following the intervention ( > 0.05). However, MC concentrate was shown to be safe and well-tolerated and, importantly, did not have any deleterious effects on these outcomes. In conclusion, MC has no influence on cardiometabolic indices in middle-aged adults.