Published in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, the randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind clinical trial claims to be the first study reported from outside China that has examined the general effects of consuming goji/wolfberry juice.

According to the study’s findings, people consuming the juice for 14 days reported increased ratings of energy levels, quality of sleep, mental acuity, calmness, and feelings contentment, as well as improved regularity of gastrointestinal functions.

Goji/wolfberry, or lyceum barbarum, has been used in Asian countries such as China, Korea and Japan for over 2500 years, where it is thought to have health benefits including anti-aging, vision, kidney and liver function.
Methodology

A total of 35 people were recruited for the study.  All participants were healthy adults, and were randomly assigned to either a goji berry group or a placebo group.

Participants were given a ‘wash-out’ period of two weeks, during which they did not consume any products containing goji berries, or any dietary supplements, energy drinks or green tea.

They then consumed either a placebo product or 120 mL of FreeLife’s GoChi juice product each morning after a meal for 14 days. 

The dosage of the goji/wolfberry juice was equivalent to 150g of fresh fruit, the amount customarily used in traditional Chinese medicine. The placebo product was said to have the same colour and taste as the goji/wolfberry juice, but it had no nutritional value.

Participants were given a questionnaire at the start and finish of the test period, where they were asked to give ratings (0-5) of general feelings of well-being, neurologic/psychologic traits, gastrointestinal, musculoskeletal, and cardiovascular complaints as well as any adverse effects.

Rusults

According to the study authors, “significant differences” between day one and day 15 were found in the goji/wolfberry group.

Respondants reported “significantly increased” athletic performance, quality of sleep (80 percent reported better sleep), focus on activities and calmness.  Around 50-60 percent of people in the goji group reported feelings of good health, contentment, and happiness.

Some 50 percent reported less fatigue, more energy during the day, and increased athletic performance. 

Additional verbally reported effects on the goji/wolfberry group included a decrease in menstrual pains for some women, an increase in sexual activity and performance, improved skin and harder nails.

The placebo group reported two statistically significant changes during the 14-day period - heartburn and feelings of happiness.

According to the authors, the results “clearly indicate” the reported benefits of consuming goji/wolfberry juice.  The authors suggest that further research is needed to confirm and extend knowledge of the berry’s health benefits.

Source:
Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine

The small study with 14 healthy adults found that the benefits of the beverage was not related to the caffeine, indicating the possible role of green tea polyphenols, previously linked to protection against certain kinds of cancers and Alzheimer’s.

The study is published in the European Journal of Cardiovascular Prevention and Rehabilitation.

“These findings have important clinical implications,” said study co-author Charalambos Vlachopoulos from Athens Medical School in Greece. “Tea consumption has been associated with reduced cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in several studies. Green tea is consumed less in the Western world than black tea, but it could be more beneficial because of the way it seems to improve endothelial function.

“In this same context, recent studies have also shown potent anticarcinogenic effects of green tea, attributed to its antioxidant properties,” added Dr Vlachopoulos.

Green tea contains between 30 and 40 per cent of water-extractable polyphenols, while black tea (green tea that has been oxidized by fermentation) contains between 3 and 10 per cent. Oolong tea is semi-fermented tea and is somewhere between green and black tea.

The four primary polyphenols found in fresh tealeaves are epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), epigallocatechin (EGC), epicatechin gallate (ECG), and epicatechin (EC).

Study details

The Greek researchers randomly assigned the volunteers (average age 30) to one of three groups. The first receive six grams of green tea, the second received 125 mg of caffeine (equivalent to the caffeine dose from six grams of tea), and the third group received hot water.

The volunteers consumed each of the interventions on three separate occasions, and the effects on flow-mediated dilation (FMD), the measure of a blood vessel’s healthy ability to relax, measured 30, 90 and 120 minutes after consumption.

Green tea increased FMD by 3.9 per cent 30 minutes after consumption, while no changes in FMD were observed following consumption of caffeine or the hot water placebo.

“Green tea consumption has an acute beneficial effect on endothelial function, assessed with FMD of the brachial artery, in healthy individuals,” wrote the researchers.

“This may be involved in the beneficial effect of tea on cardiovascular risk,” they concluded.

Source: European Journal of Cardiovascular Prevention and Rehabilitation

The activity of cyclooxygenase enzymes associated with inflammation, COX-1 and COX-2, was inhibited in animals fed a polyphenol-rich extract of pomegranate fruit, according to results published in the open-access Journal of Inflammation.

If the study can be repeated in humans it offers promise for preventing chronic inflammation, brought about by an over-expression or lack of control of the normal protective mechanism. Chronic inflammation has been linked to range of conditions linked to heart disease, osteoporosis, cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s, type-2 diabetes, and arthritis.

It is in terms of arthritis that the researchers focus their study, and indicate that pomegranate extracts could provide an alternative to use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), especially in light of mounting concerns about the adverse effects of NSAID use. 

Some of these drugs, which are among the most frequently prescribed medications worldwide, have been linked with gastrointestinal toxicity, increased blood pressure, and increased risk of cardiovascular disease.

“Consumption of pomegranate fruit extract may be of value in inhibiting inflammatory stimuli-induced cartilage breakdown and production of inflammatory mediators in arthritis,” wrote the researchers, led by Tariq Haqqi from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio.

Pomegranate, a rich source of antioxidants, has been linked to improved heart health, but a growing body of science indicates the fruit protect against prostate cancer. Studies have also reported a role in joint health by slowing cartilage loss in arthritis.

It is these antioxidants, and particularly ellagitannin compounds like punicalagins and punicalins, which accounts for about half of the fruit’s antioxidant ability, that are reportedly behind the proposed health benefits.

Study details

Haqqi and co-workers fed four rabbits the pomegranate extract, equivalent of 175 ml of pomegranate juice, while two rabbits given water instead acted as the controls. Blood samples were taken to measure inflammatory biomarkers and antioxidant levels.

The data showed that blood antioxidant levels were significantly higher after ingestion of the pomegranate extract, indicating the bioavailability of the antioxidants.

Moreover, COX-1 and COX-2 activity was significantly reduced in the pomegranate-fed animals, compared to control, particularly for COX-2. Indeed, COX-1 activity was reduced by about seven per cent following ingestion of the extract, while COX-2 activity decreased by about 26 per cent.

“Although direct inhibitory effect of plant extracts or components on COX enzyme activity have been reported by several investigators, inhibition of COX enzyme activity by polyphenols that become bioavailable after consumption of pomegranate fruit or extract has not been reported,” wrote the researchers.

While the results are promising for pomegranates, the researchers rightfully stated that additional animal studies are required, “followed by controlled clinical trials.”

Measures of atherosclerosis were reduced in hamsters with high cholesterol levels following consumption of the fruit and their respective juices, but the benefits were significantly greater for the juices, report researchers from the University of Montpellier 1 and 2, and the Victor Ségalen University in Bordeaux 2 in the journal Molecular Nutrition & Food Research.

“The present results clearly show for the first time that apple and purple grape prevent diet-induced atherosclerosis in hamsters, and that the fruit processing can have a major impact on the potential health benefits of fruit in pathological conditions,” wrote the researchers, led by Jean-Max Rouanet.

“These findings, therefore, provide encouragement that fruit and fruit juices may have a significant clinical and public health relevance.”

Atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries, is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD), which causes almost 50 per cent of deaths in Europe, and is reported to cost the EU economy about €169bn ($202bn) per year.

New data

Rouanet and co-workers took 40 male Syrian golden hamsters and randomly divided them into five groups. The animals were fed a diet to promote the development of artery hardening, and supplemented with mashed apple or purple grape, or the same volume of apple juice or purple grape juice, or water (control group) for 12 weeks.

At the end of the study, they found that total cholesterol levels were significantly reduced in the animals fed the fruit-supplemented diets, by 11 per cent in apple group and 24 per cent in the apple juice group, and 30 per cent in the purple grape and 34 per cent in the purple grape juice group. This was attributed to the reductions in levels of non-HDL cholesterol.

The juices also outperformed the fruit for protecting against atherosclerosis, measured by the aortic fatty streak lesion area or AFSA. This value was reduced by 93 and 78 per cent for the purple grape juice and the fruit, respectively, and by 60 and 48 per cent for apple juice and apple, respectively.

“The results show for the first time that long-term consumption of antioxidants supplied by apple and purple grape, especially phenolic compounds, prevents the development of atherosclerosis in hamsters, and that processing can have a major impact on the potential health benefits of a product,” stated the researchers.

Mechanism of protection

Commenting on the underlying mechanism, Rouanet and co-workers stated that the greater potency of the purple grape and its juice may be due to the flavonoids content

“Flavonoids, especially anthocyanins and catechins in purple grape and purple grape juice, generally have more hydroxyl groups than phenolic acids found in apple and apple juice,” wrote the authors. “This could explain why purple grape juice and purple grape displayed a better efficacy than apple and apple juice against early atherosclerosis.

“Nevertheless, these beneficial effects cannot only be attributed to their phenolic contents, but to the result of the action of different antioxidant compounds present in the fruits (vitamin C, carotenoids, polyphenols) and to possible synergistic and antagonist effects still unknown,” they added.

Source:  Molecular Nutrition & Food Research
2008, Volume 52, Pages 400-407, doi: 10.1002/mnfr.200700141
“Phenolics from purple grape, apple, purple grape juice and apple juice prevent early atherosclerosis induced by an atherogenic diet in hamsters”

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) occurs when people stop breathing while they are sleeping, often for a minute or more, and this may many hundreds of times during a single night’s sleep. It is usually caused when the soft tissue in the rear of the throat collapses and closes during sleep, according to the American Sleep Apnea Association.

As such, people with this disorder are said to be at risk of oxidative stress and exhibit changes in their brain tissue in areas involved in learning and memory.

Supplements of green tea extracts may counter the cognitive deficits that may occur, suggests a new study with rats, published in American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.

If the results of the study can be repeated in humans, green tea and its extracts may offer a potential interventional strategy for people with the disorder, reported to be in the region of 12 million or so people in the US, according to the National Institutes of Health.

“OSA has been increasingly recognized as a serious and frequent health condition with potential long-term morbidities that include learning and psychological disabilities,” wrote lead researcher David Gozal from the University of Louisville.

Study details

Human OSA was modelled in rats by intermittently depriving the animals of oxygen during 12-hour “night” cycles for 14 days - intermittent hypoxia (IH). The researchers divided the 106 male rats into two groups, with one group assigned to receive drinking water containing green tea polyphenols.

The University of Louisville researchers, in collaboration with scientists from Soroka University Medical Center, then tested the animals for markers of inflammation and oxidative stress, in addition to using a water maze to test their performance in spatial learning and memory tasks.

They report that rats that received the green tea polyphenol (GTP)-supplemented water performed significantly better in a water maze than the rats that drank plain water.

Moreover, levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), a reactive carbonyl compound and a well-established marker of oxidative stress, were 40 per cent lower in the GTP-supplemented animals, added the researchers.

“GTP-[supplemented] rats exposed to IH displayed significantly greater spatial bias for the previous hidden platform position, indicating that GTPs are capable of attenuating IH-induced spatial learning deficits,” wrote Gozal.

“Because oxidative processes underlie neurocognitive deficits associated with IH, the potential therapeutic role of GTP in sleep-disordered breathing deserves further exploration,” he added.

Antioxidant activity

The benefits of the green tea extracts were attributed to the antioxidant properties of green tea polyphenols. “Recent studies have demonstrated the neuroprotective activity of GTP in animal models of neurodegenerative conditions such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease,” wrote Gozal.

Green tea is said to contain over four times the concentration of antioxidant catechins than black tea (green tea leaves that have been oxidized by fermentation), about 70 mg catechins per 100 mL compared to 15 mg per 100 mL for black tea.

The four primary polyphenols found in fresh tealeaves are epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), epigallocatechin, epicatechin gallate, and epicatechin.

Source: American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine
Volume 177, Pages 1135-1141, doi:10.1164/rccm.200701-110OC
“Green Tea Catechin Polyphenols Attenuate Behavioral and Oxidative Responses to Intermittent Hypoxia”
Authors: I.C. Burckhardt, D. Gozal, E. Dayyat, Y. Cheng, R.C. Li, A.D. Goldbart, B.W. Row

Ten weeks of supplementation were required to produce a protective effect, according to pooled data from seven studies reported in the journal Photochemistry and Photobiology.

“This meta-analysis indicates that beta-carotene supplementation of humans is effective in providing protection against the development of a sunburn reaction,” wrote Wolfgang Kopcke from Munster University Hospital and Jean Krutmann from the Heinrich-Heine-University in Dusseldorf.

“This observation emphasizes that systemic photoprotection by beta-carotene is quite different from that achieved with a topically applied sunscreen,” they added.

There is a growing body of science focusing on the potential benefits of nutrients to boost skin health from within, with lutein, lycopene and superoxide dismutase (SOD) having been reported to improve skin health.

Kopcke and Krutmann searched the literature for studies on beta-carotene supplementation studies for protecting humans against sunburn. Seven studies were identified that tested the effectiveness of the carotenoid.

The meta-analysis found that the carotenoid did offer protection against sunburn and that at least 10 weeks of supplementation were required to afford this protection.

Moreover, for every additional month of supplementation, the degree of protection increased, added Kopcke and Krutmann.

“This observation emphasizes that systemic photoprotection by beta-carotene is quite different from that achieved with a topically applied sunscreen,” they said. “Whereas proper use of modern sunscreens provides protection against the development of a sunburn reaction within minutes after topical application, beta-carotene-induced photoprotection builds only slowly over several weeks of supplementation.”

Responsibly, they stressed that the carotenoid was not a replacement for sunscreen, particularly under strong sun exposure, but may work in addition to topicals. Beta-carotene’s sun protection factor (SPF) was “at best” about four, they said.

“Topical application of sunscreens and systemic photoprotection with beta-carotene are not competing strategies which are intended to replace each other, but instead they are complementary in nature and should be combined,” wrote Kopcke and Krutmann.

“In this regard, beta-carotene intake would serve to provide a basic, all day protection against sunburn, which would affect all parts of the skin, whereas sunscreens would be used ‘in addition’ in particular to prevent sunburns under conditions where the consumer anticipates increased exposure of selected skin areas to UV radiation.”

Mechanism

The researchers said the exact mechanism or mechanisms behind beta-carotenoid’s sun protection were unknown, but said it was tempting to speculate that the carotenoid’s antioxidant activity may be responsible. On exposure to UV radiation, particularly UV-B, reactive oxygen species (ROS) are produced in the skin that may result in oxidative stress, a known accelerator of the ageing process. Beta-carotene may quench these ROS and thereby offer skin protection.

On the other hand, an alternative mechanism is proposed by Kopcke and Krutmann: beta-carotene may interfere with various signaling pathways that result form UV-B exposure, which start in DNA.

“The efficacy of beta-carotene to prevent sunburn formation may thus alternatively be explained by the capacity of beta-carotene to interfere with one or several of these signaling pathways,” they concluded.

Industrial welcome

The results of the study were welcomed by Manfred Eggersdorfer, head of R&D at DSM Nutritional Products. “These findings demonstrate our ever-growing understanding of the vital link between nutritional intake and health,” he said. “Nutritional science is increasingly demonstrating how we can influence our health and well-being by means of the nutritional choices we make.”

Conducted by The Gallup Organization and Schulman, Ronca & Bucuvalas Inc (SRBI), the recent surveys indicate there is still room for education efforts and continued promotion of folic acid consumption.

Researchers report in the journal Neurology that reliably taking the supplement could reduce the risk of developing mild memory problems by 68 per cent in healthy older people with no memory problems.

The link between the antioxidant-rich juice and male fertility could see pomegranate seen as much more than a heart healthy food, if the new results published in Clinical Nutrition can be translated to humans.