Abstract
Objectives
The study aimed to investigate the impact of wolfberry (Lycium barbarum) consumption as part of a healthy dietary pattern on cardiovascular health in Singaporean middle-aged and older adults. It was hypothesized that the consumption of wolfberry could further enhance the cardiovascular protective effects of a healthy dietary pattern.
Methods
This was a 16 week, parallel design, randomized controlled trial where 40 Singaporean men and women (aged 50 to 64 years) received dietary counselling to follow a healthy dietary pattern either with or without 15 g/day of dried whole wolfberry, cooked and consumed as part of their meals. Blood pressure, serum lipid-lipoprotein concentrations and dietary compliance using 3-day food records were monitored every 4 weeks. Further evaluation of cardiovascular disease (CVD) biomarkers, broadly classified as serological (total nitrate/nitrite, endothelin-1, intercellular adhesion molecule-1, angiopoietin-1, angiopoietin-2 and von-Willebrand factor), structural (carotid intima-media thickness using B-mode ultrasonography) and functional (flow-mediated dilation using B-mode ultrasonography and circulating endothelial progenitor cells (CD34+/KDR+) by fluorescence-activated cell sorting) were analyzed before and after intervention.
Results
Adherence to a healthy dietary pattern contributed to a time dependent effect on both the plasma total nitrate/nitrite (P < 0.01) and plasma endothelin-1 (P < 0.005) which were raised and lowered respectively at week 16. However, changes were significant only in the wolfberry group (total nitrate/nitrite: 15.9 ± 1.8 to 19.4 ± 2.2 μmol/L, P < 0.05; endothelin-1: 1.31 ± 0.12 to 1.11 ± 0.10 ng/L, P < 0.01) and not in the control group. Moreover, a significant increase in serum high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol was also detected solely in the wolfberry group (1.56 ± 0.10 to 1.65 ± 0.10 mmol/L, P < 0.05). The other serological, structural and functional biomarkers of cardiovascular health showed no observable change after the intervention.
Conclusions
Incorporating wolfberry to your daily meals may augment the cardiovascular protective benefits of a healthy dietary pattern by improving the regulation of vascular tone and plasma lipid-lipoprotein profile in Singaporean middle-aged and older adults.
Funding Sources
Ministry of Education, Singapore.
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