James I Dower1, Johanna M Geleijnse1, Lieke Gijsbers1, Casper Schalkwijk2, Daan Kromhout3, Peter C Hollman4. 1. Top Institute Food and Nutrition, Wageningen, The Netherlands; Division of Human Nutrition, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands; and. 2. Top Institute Food and Nutrition, Wageningen, The Netherlands; Department of Internal Medicine, Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht, The Netherlands. 3. Division of Human Nutrition, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands; and. 4. Top Institute Food and Nutrition, Wageningen, The Netherlands; Division of Human Nutrition, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands; and peter.hollman@wur.nl.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Consumption of flavonoid-rich foods such as cocoa and tea may reduce cardiovascular disease risk. The flavonoids epicatechin (in cocoa and tea) and quercetin (in tea) probably play a role by reducing endothelial dysfunction and inflammation, 2 main determinants of atherosclerosis. OBJECTIVE: We studied the effects of supplementation of pure epicatechin and quercetin on biomarkers of endothelial dysfunction and inflammation. METHODS:Thirty-seven apparently healthy (pre)hypertensive men and women (40-80 y) participated in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover trial. Participants ingested (-)-epicatechin (100 mg/d), quercetin-3-glucoside (160 mg/d), or placebo capsules for a period of 4 wk, in random order. Plasma biomarkers of endothelial dysfunction and inflammation were measured at the start and end of each 4-wk intervention period. The differences in changes over time between the intervention and placebo periods (Δintervention - Δplacebo) were calculated and tested with a linear mixed model for repeated measures. RESULTS:Epicatechin changed Δepicatechin - Δplacebo for soluble endothelial selectin (sE-selectin) by -7.7 ng/mL (95% CI: -14.5, -0.83; P = 0.03) but did not significantly change this difference (-0.30; 95% CI: -0.61, 0.01; P = 0.06) for the z score for endothelial dysfunction. Quercetin changed Δquercetin - Δplacebo for sE-selectin by -7.4 ng/mL (95% CI: -14.3, -0.56; P = 0.03), that for IL-1β by -0.23 pg/mL (95% CI: -0.40, -0.06; P = 0.009), and that for the z score for inflammation by -0.33 (95% CI: -0.60, -0.05; P = 0.02). CONCLUSIONS: In (pre)hypertensive men and women, epicatechin may contribute to the cardioprotective effects of cocoa and tea through improvements in endothelial function. Quercetin may contribute to the cardioprotective effects of tea possibly by improving endothelial function and reducing inflammation. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT01691404.
RCT Entities:
BACKGROUND: Consumption of flavonoid-rich foods such as cocoa and tea may reduce cardiovascular disease risk. The flavonoidsepicatechin (in cocoa and tea) and quercetin (in tea) probably play a role by reducing endothelial dysfunction and inflammation, 2 main determinants of atherosclerosis. OBJECTIVE: We studied the effects of supplementation of pure epicatechin and quercetin on biomarkers of endothelial dysfunction and inflammation. METHODS: Thirty-seven apparently healthy (pre)hypertensivemen and women (40-80 y) participated in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover trial. Participants ingested (-)-epicatechin (100 mg/d), quercetin-3-glucoside (160 mg/d), or placebo capsules for a period of 4 wk, in random order. Plasma biomarkers of endothelial dysfunction and inflammation were measured at the start and end of each 4-wk intervention period. The differences in changes over time between the intervention and placebo periods (Δintervention - Δplacebo) were calculated and tested with a linear mixed model for repeated measures. RESULTS:Epicatechin changed Δepicatechin - Δplacebo for soluble endothelial selectin (sE-selectin) by -7.7 ng/mL (95% CI: -14.5, -0.83; P = 0.03) but did not significantly change this difference (-0.30; 95% CI: -0.61, 0.01; P = 0.06) for the z score for endothelial dysfunction. Quercetin changed Δquercetin - Δplacebo for sE-selectin by -7.4 ng/mL (95% CI: -14.3, -0.56; P = 0.03), that for IL-1β by -0.23 pg/mL (95% CI: -0.40, -0.06; P = 0.009), and that for the z score for inflammation by -0.33 (95% CI: -0.60, -0.05; P = 0.02). CONCLUSIONS: In (pre)hypertensivemen and women, epicatechin may contribute to the cardioprotective effects of cocoa and tea through improvements in endothelial function. Quercetin may contribute to the cardioprotective effects of tea possibly by improving endothelial function and reducing inflammation. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT01691404.
Authors: Jing Chen; L Lee Hamm; Joshua D Bundy; Damodar R Kumbala; Shirisha Bodana; Sehgal Chandra; Chung-Shiuan Chen; Charlton C Starcke; Yajun Guo; Caroline M Schaefer; Eva Lustigova; Erin Mahone; Aarti M Vadalia; Terra Livingston; Katherine Obst; Jesus Hernandez; Syed Rizwan Bokhari; Myra Kleinpeter; Arnold B Alper; Ivo Lukitsch; Hua He; David C Nieman; Jiang He Journal: Clin J Am Soc Nephrol Date: 2020-10-06 Impact factor: 8.237