Abstract
Objectives
To assess whether the long-term separate ingestions of an encapsulated juice powder concentrate and a plant-based omega fatty acid supplement, or a combined ingestion of the two, can affect biomarkers of cardiovascular health, low-grade inflammation and indicators of aging in the elderly.
Methods
This is a randomised, controlled, open-labelled, parallel-grouped clinical trial, consisting of 4 arms. One hundred and twelve, overweight and obese (BMI 25–35 kg/m2) subjects, aged 60 to 80 years will be recruited and randomly allocated to: i) control group; ii) Fruit, Vegetable and Berry (FVB) group, where participants have to ingest
a fruit, vegetable and berry supplement (Juice Plus+® capsules); iii) Omega group, where participants have to ingest a plant-based fatty acid supplement (Juice Plus+® Omega Blend); and iv) Fruit, Vegetable, Berry and Omega (FVBO) group, where participants have to ingest the fruit, vegetable and berry supplement, together with the plant-based fatty acid supplement. Participants in all groups will continue their habitual diet and lifestyle. Those allocated to one of the three intervention groups, will be asked to ingest the supplements for a total duration of two years. Participants will be assessed at baseline and at follow-up visits at 6, 12, 18 and 24 months. Primary outcomes include markers of cardiovascular health and low-grade inflammation. Secondary outcomes include selected indicators of aging, cognitive function, immunity and quality of life. Finally, plasma levels of vitamins, carotenoids and fatty acids will also be assessed.
Results
N/A
Conclusions
This study will provide evidence whether long-term, plant-based dietary supplementation can support cardiovascular health, anti-inflammatory processes, immunity and nutritional status in aging.
Funding Sources
The Juice Plus + Science Institute received funding by The Juice Plus+® Company for this project.