The effect of fruit and vegetable types on vascular function
Research type
Research Study
Full title
The effects of types of fruits and vegetables on vascular function in prehypertensive participants: a pilot study
IRAS ID
195365
Contact name
Linda M. Oude Griep
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Imperial College London
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 4 months, 18 days
Research summary
Elevated blood pressure is the leading population-wide modifiable risk factor of cardiovascular diseases (CVD). Evidence is well-established that higher fruit and vegetable consumption lowers the risk of CVD through blood pressure lowering effects. These findings underlie the dietary recommendations to eat daily at least 5 portions of a variety of fruits and vegetables.
Fruits and vegetables are biochemically complex with varying types and amount of micronutrients and bioactive compounds. Observational studies suggested that higher intakes of apples, citrus fruits, carrots, cruciferous vegetables, grapes, and tomatoes lower CVD risk. Dietary intervention studies reported inconsistent findings of fruit and vegetable types on vascular function likely due to single-nutrient focus instead of the whole food, no fully controlled diets, or too healthy participants to detect a significant effect.
The application of novel metabolomics technologies that detect small molecules in biofluids enabled identification of potential urinary biomarkers of citrus fruits and cruciferous vegetables in small interventions and were recently validated in a population-based cohort study. Such biomarkers help combined with well-established biomarkers of total fruit and vegetable intake e.g. plasma vitamin C and urinary potassium to simultaneously and objectively identify relationships and potential underlying mechanisms with vascular function.
The present study aims to evaluate the effects of increased intakes of types of fruits and vegetables, specifically citrus fruits and cruciferous vegetables on vascular function in 20 untreated, prehypertensive participants by way of a fully controlled, cross-over intervention. Participants will sequentially consume average UK diets varying in amounts and types of fruits and vegetables: low (1+1 portions), high commonly consumed types (4+4 portions), high citrus fruits and cruciferous vegetables (4+4 portions) for 2 weeks. Findings will help to design larger and longer term intervention studies to enhance knowledge of BP-lowering effects by fruit and vegetable types to develop targeted dietary strategies to maintain cardiometabolic health.
REC name
London - Brent Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
17/LO/0862
Date of REC Opinion
5 Jul 2017
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion