Acute inorganic nitrate intake increases regional insulin action in the brain: Results of a double-blind, randomized, controlled cross-over trial with abdominally obese men.

Aims: Improving brain insulin sensitivity may be a promising approach in the prevention and treatment of metabolic and cognitive diseases. Our aim was to investigate acute effects of inorganic nitrate on regional cerebral blood flow (CBF) responses to intranasal insulin in abdominally obese men.

Methods: Eighteen apparently healthy men, aged 18-60 years and with a waist circumference ≥ 102 cm, participated in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled cross-over trial.

Longer-term soy nut consumption improves vascular function and cardiometabolic risk markers in older adults: Results of a randomized, controlled cross-over trial.

Background: Soy foods may contribute to the beneficial health effects of healthy plant-based diets on the risk to develop cardiovascular disease (CVD). However, their effects on vascular function have hardly been studied.

Objective: To investigate longer-term effects of soy nut consumption on vascular function and cardiometabolic risk markers in healthy older men and women.

Effects of tree nut and groundnut consumption compared with those of l-arginine supplementation on fasting and postprandial flow-mediated vasodilation: Meta-analysis of human randomized controlled trials.

Introduction: l-arginine supplementation may improve vascular endothelial function. As tree nuts and groundnuts are a source of the amino acid l-arginine, we performed a meta-analysis of human randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to compare effects of tree nut and groundnut consumption with those of l-arginine supplementation on fasting and postprandial endothelial function as assessed by flow-mediated vasodilation of the brachial artery (FMD).

Methods: Summary estimates of weighted mean differences (WMDs) in FMD and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using random-effect meta-analyses.

Effects of diet-induced weight loss on postprandial vascular function after consumption of a mixed meal: Results of a randomized controlled trial with abdominally obese men.

Background: Effects of weight loss on postprandial vascular function have not been studied so far. We therefore examined (i) effects of diet-induced weight loss on postprandial changes in various vascular function markers after consumption of a mixed meal and (ii) differences between normal-weight and abdominally obese men of comparable age at baseline and after weight loss.

Methods: Fifty-four apparently healthy abdominally obese (waist circumference: 102-110 cm) and 25 normal-weight men (waist circumference: <94 cm) participated.

Effect of α-linolenic acid on vascular function and metabolic risk markers during the fasting and postprandial phase: A randomized placebo-controlled trial in untreated (pre-)hypertensive individuals.

Background: Only a limited number of studies have examined the vascular and postprandial effects of α-linolenic acid (ALA, C18:3n-3). Therefore, we performed a well-controlled trial focusing specifically on the effects of ALA on vascular function and metabolic risk markers during the fasting and postprandial phase in untreated (pre-)hypertensive individuals.

Methods: In a double-blind randomized, placebo-controlled parallel study, 59 overweight and obese adults (40 men and 19 women, aged 60 ± 8 years) with a high-normal blood pressure or mild (stage I) hypertension consumed daily either 10 g of refined cold-pressed flaxseed oil, providing 4.

Weight loss improves fasting flow-mediated vasodilation in adults: a meta-analysis of intervention studies.

Background: Obesity is associated with vascular endothelial dysfunction. Effects of weight loss on endothelial function are however not clear. Therefore, we performed a meta-analysis to quantify effects of weight loss on flow-mediated vasodilation (FMD) of the brachial artery, a measurement of endothelial function.

Beetroot juice improves in overweight and slightly obese men postprandial endothelial function after consumption of a mixed meal.

Background: Through effects on nitric oxide (NO) bioavailability, endothelial function is improved after the intake of beetroot juice-which is rich in inorganic nitrate-, but decreased after the intake of a meal.

Objective: The objective of this study was to examine if beetroot juice could counteract the impairment of endothelial function associated with the ingestion of a mixed meal.

Methods: Twenty healthy overweight and slightly obese men with a BMI between 28 and 35 kg/m(2) received in random order a mixed meal providing 56.