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California strawberry consumption increased the abundance of gut microorganisms related to lean body weight, health and longevity in healthy subjects.
Ezzat-Zadeh, Z, Henning, SM, Yang, J, Woo, SL, Lee, RP, Huang, J, Thames, G, Gilbuena, I, Tseng, CH, Heber, D, et al
Nutrition research (New York, N.Y.). 2021;:60-70
Abstract
It was our hypothesis that foods high in polyphenols and fiber have prebiotic activity. This human intervention study aimed to determine if daily consumption of freeze-dried California strawberry powder (SBP) leads to changes in the intestinal microbiota, fecal cholesterol and bile acid (BA) microbial metabolites. Fifteen healthy adults consumed a beige diet+26 g of SBP for 4 weeks, followed by 2 weeks of beige diet only. Stool samples were collected at 0, 4, and 6 weeks. Fecal microbiota was analyzed by 16S rRNA sequencing; fecal cholesterol, BA, and microbial metabolites by gas chromatography. Confirming compliance, urine concentration of pelargonidin, urolithin A glucuronide and dimethylellagic acid glucuronide were present after 4 weeks of SBP consumption. Daily SBP altered the abundance of 24 operational taxonomic units (OTUs). Comparing week 4 to baseline the most significant increases were observed for one OTU from Firmicutes\Clostridia\ Christensenellaceae\NA, one OTU from Firmicutes\ Clostridia\Mogibacteriacea\NA, one OTU from Verrucomicrobia\ Verrucomicrobiaceae\Akkermansia\Muciniphila, one OTU from Actinobacteria\ Bifidobacteriaceae\Bifidobacterium\NA, and one OTU from Bacteroidetes\Bacteroidia\ Bacteroidaceae\Bacteroides and decrease of one OTU from Proteobacteria\ Betaproteobacteria\Alcaligenaceae\Sutterella. Comparing week 4 to 6, we observed a reversal of the same OTUs from C Christensenellaceae, V muciniphilia and C Mogibacteriaceae. Fecal short chain fatty acids and most of the fecal markers including cholesterol, coprostanol, primary and secondary BAs were not changed significantly except for lithocholic acid, which was increased significantly at week 6 compared to baseline. In summary, SBP consumption increased the abundance of gut microorganisms related to lean body weight, health and longevity, and increased fecal lithocholic acid at week 6 in healthy study participants.
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Pomegranate extract induces ellagitannin metabolite formation and changes stool microbiota in healthy volunteers.
Li, Z, Henning, SM, Lee, RP, Lu, QY, Summanen, PH, Thames, G, Corbett, K, Downes, J, Tseng, CH, Finegold, SM, et al
Food & function. 2015;(8):2487-95
Abstract
The health benefits of pomegranate (POM) consumption are attributed to ellagitannins and their metabolites, formed and absorbed in the intestine by the microbiota. In this study twenty healthy participants consumed 1000 mg of POM extract daily for four weeks. Based on urinary and fecal content of the POM metabolite urolithin A (UA), we observed three distinct groups: (1) individuals with no baseline UA presence but induction of UA formation by POM extract consumption (n = 9); (2) baseline UA formation which was enhanced by POM extract consumption (N = 5) and (3) no baseline UA production, which was not inducible (N = 6). Compared to baseline the phylum Actinobacteria was increased and Firmicutes decreased significantly in individuals forming UA (producers). Verrucomicrobia (Akkermansia muciniphila) was 33 and 47-fold higher in stool samples of UA producers compared to non-producers at baseline and after 4 weeks, respectively. In UA producers, the genera Butyrivibrio, Enterobacter, Escherichia, Lactobacillus, Prevotella, Serratia and Veillonella were increased and Collinsella decreased significantly at week 4 compared to baseline. The consumption of pomegranate resulted in the formation of its metabolites in some but not all participants. POM extract consumption may induce health benefits secondary to changes in the microbiota.
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3.
Strawberry consumption is associated with increased antioxidant capacity in serum.
Henning, SM, Seeram, NP, Zhang, Y, Li, L, Gao, K, Lee, RP, Wang, DC, Zerlin, A, Karp, H, Thames, G, et al
Journal of medicinal food. 2010;(1):116-22
Abstract
Strawberries are known to contain antioxidants, but the significance of ingesting antioxidant-rich fruits remains to be established. In order to determine whether the consumption of strawberries impacted measures of in vivo antioxidant capacity, frozen strawberries (250 g) were administered daily for 3 weeks to 21 healthy female volunteers. Compliance was confirmed by quantitating pelargonidin-glucuronide, urolithin A-glucuronide, and 2,5-dimethyl-4-hydroxy-3-[(2)H]furanone-glucuronide in plasma and urine by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry and antioxidant capacity in serum measured by the increase in lag phase of low-density lipoprotein after copper sulfate exposure, DNA strand breaks in lymphocytes, and activity of phase II enzymes. Among these measures lipid peroxidation lag time increased by 20% (P < .01), whereas other measures did not change significantly. The potent antioxidant defenses in humans make determination of changes due to dietary ingestion in healthy individuals difficult. In summary, daily consumption of strawberries resulted in a modest but significant increase in antioxidant capacity in a healthy population.
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Plasma clearance of lovastatin versus chinese red yeast rice in healthy volunteers.
Li, Z, Seeram, NP, Lee, R, Thames, G, Minutti, C, Wang, HJ, Heber, D
Journal of alternative and complementary medicine (New York, N.Y.). 2005;(6):1031-8
Abstract
OBJECTIVES It is now accepted that inhibition of cholesterol biosynthesis is effective in the primary and secondary prevention of heart disease. However, the perceived side-effects on muscle and liver reduce the general acceptance of statin drug therapy as well as compliance over the long term, which is necessary for prevention efforts to be successful. Chinese red yeast rice (CRYR) is a supplement containing lovastatin (monacolin K), eight other monacolins, pigments, tannins, and other phytochemicals. The authors previously reported on a double- blind placebo-controlled trial of CRYR supplement in 80 individuals demonstrating a significant decrease in cholesterol levels from 250 mg/dL to 210 mg/dL over 8 weeks independent of diet. The current study compared the pharmacokinetics of CRYR with lovastatin at the same bioeffective dose for lowering cholesterol. METHODS Eleven (11) healthy volunteers were randomized to a crossover study taking 2400 mg CRYR or 20 mg of lovastatin. RESULTS The Cmax and area under the curve (AUC) of lovastatin were 22.42 ng/mL, and 80.47 higher than CRYR (p = 0.001 and 0.002, respectively). The Cmax for lovastatin hydroxy-acid was 36.63 ng/mL higher than the Cmax of CRYR hydroxy-acid (p = 0.001). The AUC of lovastatin hydroxy-acid was 258.5 greater than that of CRYR (p = 0.001). CONCLUSIONS The results suggested that the effect of CRYR on the cholesterol concentration might be caused by the additive and/or synergistic effects of monacolin K with other monacolins and substances in CRYR. It may lead to the ultimate development of a botanical supplement based on CRYR.
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Long-term efficacy of soy-based meal replacements vs an individualized diet plan in obese type II DM patients: relative effects on weight loss, metabolic parameters, and C-reactive protein.
Li, Z, Hong, K, Saltsman, P, DeShields, S, Bellman, M, Thames, G, Liu, Y, Wang, HJ, Elashoff, R, Heber, D
European journal of clinical nutrition. 2005;(3):411-8
Abstract
BACKGROUND Achieving significant weight loss and glycemic control in diabetic patients remains a challenging task. OBJECTIVE This study compared the effects of a soy-based meal replacement (MR) plan vs an individualized diet plan (IDP; as recommended by the American Diabetes Association) on weight loss and metabolic profile. DESIGN/SUBJECTS A total of 104 subjects were randomized prospectively to the two treatments for a total of 12 months. RESULTS In all, 77 of the 104 subjects completed the study. Percentage weight loss in MR group (4.57+/-0.81%) was significantly greater (P<0.05) than in IDP group (2.25+/-0.72%). Fasting plasma glucose was significantly reduced in MR group (126.4+/-4.9 mg/dl) compared with IDP group (152.5+/-6.6 mg/dl, P<0.0001) at 6 months but not at 12 months. Controlling for baseline levels, hemoglobin Alc level improved by 0.49+/-0.22% for those receiving MR when compared to IDP group (P<0.05). A greater number of subjects in MR group reduced their use of sulfonylureas (P<0.0001) and metformin (P<0.05) as compared to IDP group. High-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) decreased -26.3% (P = 0.019) in MR group compared to -7.06% (P = 0.338) in IDP group at 6 months. Similar changes were observed at 12 months with MR groups, with hs-CRP decreasing by -25.0% (P = 0.019) compared to -18.7% (P = 0.179) in IDP group. CONCLUSION This study demonstrates that MR is a viable strategy for weight reduction in diabetic patients, resulting in beneficial changes in measures of glycemic control and reduction of medications.
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6.
Liquid meal replacements and glycemic control in obese type 2 diabetes patients.
Yip, I, Go, VL, DeShields, S, Saltsman, P, Bellman, M, Thames, G, Murray, S, Wang, HJ, Elashoff, R, Heber, D
Obesity research. 2001;:341S-347S
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Although weight management is an important component in the treatment of type 2 diabetes, there has been concern about the use of liquid meal replacements (MRs) in treating obese patients with type 2 diabetes because of the sugar content of the MRs. The goal of this study was to evaluate the safety and feasibility of using MRs for weight loss in obese patients with type 2 diabetes. RESEARCH METHODS AND PROCEDURES Seventy-five subjects with type 2 diabetes, treated only with oral agents, were recruited for this 12-week clinical study. Subjects were randomized into three groups using either a MR containing lactose, fructose, and sucrose, a MR in which fructose and sucrose were replaced with oligosaccharides (sugar-free Slim-Fast), or an exchange diet plan (EDP) using the proportion of macronutrients recommended by the American Diabetes Association. RESULTS Fifty-seven patients (41 MR and 16 EDP) finished the study. None developed serious adverse effects, including major hypoglycemic reactions. Weight losses in the MR 1 and MR 2 groups were comparable (6.4% and 6.7%, respectively) and greater than the weight loss in the EDP group (4.9%). Fasting glucose level was significantly reduced in the MR group compared with the EDP group (p = 0.012). There was a significant reduction in the MR group in total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol that was not seen in the EDP group. DISCUSSION We have shown that liquid MRs are a safe and effective weight loss tool for obese subjects with type 2 diabetes, and can result in improvements in body weight, glucose, insulin, hemoglobin A1c and lipid levels.