Effects and safety of daily ingestion of plum extract on blood pressure: randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled parallel group comparison study
Journal Title: Functional Foods in Health and Disease - Year 2017, Vol 7, Issue 11
Abstract
Background: Hypertension is an increasing health issue in Japan. Plums are widely consumed in Japan and are reported to have various health benefits, including improvements to blood flow. However, clinical trials investigating the effects of plum extract on blood pressure have not yet been conducted. Therefore, we evaluated the effects and safety of plum extract on blood pressure in this randomized, double-blinded, and placebo-controlled parallel group comparison study. Methods: Seventy-four healthy Japanese subjects with systolic blood pressure (SBP) ≥130 and <160 mmHg were randomly divided into test and placebo groups. Subjects were given either plum extract-processed food (3.0 g of plum extract, containing 30 mg of mumefural and 1.119 g of citric acid) or placebo food daily for 12 weeks. Physical examinations, blood measurements, and medical interviews were performed at weeks 0, 4, 8, and 12 and at 2 weeks after the intake period. Results: SBP and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) did not significantly differ between the groups. However, in subjects with grade I hypertension, DBP was significantly lower in the active test food group than in the placebo food group at week 12 and at 2 weeks after the intake period. An exploratory subgroup analysis revealed that plum extract improved DBP in subjects with normal to high obesity/class I obesity at week 12. Moreover, plum extract had positive effects on fatigue and bowel movements as determined by visual analog scale questionnaire evaluation. No abnormal changes or severe adverse events were observed in the physical examinations, blood measurements, or medical interviews in this trial. Conclusion: These results suggest that plum extract is safe for long-term intake and improves DBP in subjects with grade I hypertension.
Authors and Affiliations
Mie Nishimura, Hiroyuki Kume, Akio Kadowaki, Nobuki Gato, Jun Nishihira
Keywords
Related Articles
- EP ID EP435612
- DOI 10.31989/ffhd.v7i11.394
- Views 114
- Downloads 0
9-cis β-carotene Inhibits Atherosclerosis Development in Female LDLR-/- Mice
Background: Several epidemiological studies have shown that diets rich in carotenoids are associated with a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease. However, administration of synthetic all-trans b-carotene was reported t...
Beneficial effects of a Fermented Papaya Preparation for the treatment of electrohypersensitivity self-reporting patients: results of a phase I-II clinical trial with special reference to cerebral pulsation measurement and oxidative stress analysis
Background: Electromagnetic Field Intolerance Syndrome (EMFIS), also termed Idiopathic Environmental Intolerance (IEI) attributed to Electromagnetic Fields (IEI-EMF) by WHO, is a newly identified pathological disorder oc...
Effects of 4-week continuous ingestion of champignon extract on bowel movements and intestinal putrefaction products: a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blinded, parallel-group comparative trial
Background: The aim of this study was to analyze the putrefaction products in the feces of subjects from a previous study (age range 50–79 years) which assessed the improvement of breath, body, and fecal odor after inges...
The effects of bioactive compounds on biomarkers of obesity
Background: The world is presently facing a prolonged struggle without a predictable cure. Obesity causes hundreds of thousands of fatalities each year, along with holding a position as a primary contributor to several o...
Impact of packaging material and storage condition on retention of provitamin A carotenoids and xanthophylls in yellow-seeded maize flour
Background: Pro-vitamin A carotenoid (pVAC) rich foods are those foods that contain substance which can be converted within the human body into retinol. These foods also contribute to the reduction of vitamin A deficienc...