Daily blueberry consumption for 12 weeks improves endothelial function in postmenopausal women with above-normal blood pressure through reductions in oxidative stress: a randomized controlled trial.

Estrogen-deficient postmenopausal women have oxidative stress-mediated suppression of endothelial function that is exacerbated by high blood pressure. Previous research suggests blueberries may improve endothelial function through reductions in oxidative stress, while also exerting other cardiovascular benefits. The objective of this study was to examine the efficacy of blueberries to improve endothelial function and blood pressure in postmenopausal women with above-normal blood pressure, and to identify potential mechanisms for improvements in endothelial function.

A posteriori dietary patterns better explain variations of the gut microbiome than individual markers in the American Gut Project.

Background: Individual diet components and specific dietary regimens have been shown to impact the gut microbiome.

Objectives: Here, we explored the contribution of long-term diet by searching for dietary patterns that would best associate with the gut microbiome in a population-based cohort.

Methods: Using a priori and a posteriori approaches, we constructed dietary patterns from an FFQ completed by 1800 adults in the American Gut Project.

Transplantation of an obesity-associated human gut microbiota to mice induces vascular dysfunction and glucose intolerance.

Recent preclinical data suggest that alterations in the gut microbiota may be an important factor linking obesity to vascular dysfunction, an early sign of cardiovascular disease. The purpose of this study was to begin translation of these preclinical data by examining whether vascular phenotypes in humans are transmissible through the gut microbiota. We hypothesized that germ-free mice colonized with gut microbiota from obese individuals would display diminished vascular function compared to germ-free mice receiving microbiota from lean individuals.

Effects of Montmorency Tart Cherry Juice Consumption on Cardiometabolic Biomarkers in Adults with Metabolic Syndrome: A Randomized Controlled Pilot Trial.

Greater than one-third of adults in the United States have metabolic syndrome (MetS), a cluster of risk factors highly associated with the development of cardiovascular diseases. Premature vascular dysfunction in MetS may lead to accelerated age-related atherogenesis and arterial stiffening, thereby increasing cardiovascular risk. Montmorency tart cherries ( L.

Consumption of Fermented Foods Is Associated with Systematic Differences in the Gut Microbiome and Metabolome.

Lifestyle factors, such as diet, strongly influence the structure, diversity, and composition of the microbiome. While we have witnessed over the last several years a resurgence of interest in fermented foods, no study has specifically explored the effects of their consumption on gut microbiota in large cohorts. To assess whether the consumption of fermented foods is associated with a systematic signal in the gut microbiome and metabolome, we used a multi-omic approach (16S rRNA amplicon sequencing, metagenomic sequencing, and untargeted mass spectrometry) to analyze stool samples from 6,811 individuals from the American Gut Project, including 115 individuals specifically recruited for their frequency of fermented food consumption for a targeted 4-week longitudinal study.

Impact of Red Beetroot Juice on Vascular Endothelial Function and Cardiometabolic Responses to a High-Fat Meal in Middle-Aged/Older Adults with Overweight and Obesity: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Crossover Trial.

Background: High-fat meal (HFM) consumption may induce transient postprandial atherogenic responses, including impairment of vascular endothelial function, in individuals with overweight/obesity. Red beetroot juice (RBJ) may modulate endothelial function and other measures of cardiometabolic health.

Objective: This study investigated the impact of acute and chronic RBJ consumption, including nitrate-dependent and -independent effects, on postprandial endothelial function and other cardiometabolic responses to a HFM.

Influence of daily fresh pear consumption on biomarkers of cardiometabolic health in middle-aged/older adults with metabolic syndrome: a randomized controlled trial.

Previous research suggests potential for fresh pears as a functional food for promoting cardiometabolic health. The purpose of this randomized, open-label, placebo-controlled, crossover clinical trial was to evaluate the influence of daily fresh pear consumption on blood pressure (primary outcome) and other biomarkers of cardiometabolic health in middle-aged/older adults with metabolic syndrome (MetS). Forty men and women aged 45-65 years with MetS were included and randomly assigned to receive either two medium-sized fresh pears (Pear) or a calorie-matched control drink (Control) per day for each 12-week treatment period, each separated by a 4-week washout period.