Effects of Phytonutrients on Vascular Health
Condition: Cardiovascular Diseases
MeSH terms: Cardiovascular Diseases
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      This study will determine the effects of beneficial compounds of plant foods, such as
      pomegranate on cardiovascular health. This will be tested by asking healthy males to eat a
      high fat ground beef patty with pomegranate juice (PJ), pomegranate extract (PomX) or water
      and then measuring blood vessel dilation (endothelial function) by blood flow We also will
      measure the amount of Nitric Oxide (NO) in your blood and urine samples and sugar and insulin
      in blood. Healthy men have been chosen for this study because eating high fat hamburger
      patties can easily mimic in them the condition that causes atherosclerosis. The results from
      this study may help to explain how high fat foods can be harmful to the body and how
      beneficial plant foods can have on cardiovascular function
    

Detailed description: 
      A. Specific Aims and Objectives

        1. Peripheral arterial reactivity by tonometry after a high fat meal with pomegranate
           consumption

        2. To measure nitric oxide and insulin response after a high fat meal and pomegranate
           consumption These studies will lead to a better understanding of the role of bioactive
           substances from plant foods such as the pomegranate may demonstrate the importance of
           plant-based nutrients on cardiovascular health.

      B. Background Polyphenols belong to the largest group of secondary metabolites produced by
      plants, mainly, in response to biotic or abiotic stresses such as infections, wounding, UV
      irradiation, exposure to ozone, pollutants, and other hostile environmental conditions. It is
      thought that the molecular basis for the protective action of polyphenols in plants is their
      antioxidant and free radical scavenging properties.

      Pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) is grown commercially in the Near East, India, Spain, Israel
      and the United States (California) where it is of significant economic importance.
      Pomegranate fruits and products, including juice, tea, wine and extracts are widely consumed
      and recognized for their health benefits. Pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) fruit possesses
      strong antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antiproliferative properties.

      High-calorie meals rich in saturated fat can lead to transient exaggerated elevations in
      blood glucose, free fatty acids, and triglycerides. This condition, termed postprandial
      dysmetabolism, generates excess free radicals (or reactive oxygen species). The ensuing
      oxidative stress triggers a biochemical cascade throughout the circulation, inducing
      inflammation, and endothelial dysfunction. These postprandial changes, when repeated multiple
      times each day, can create a milieu conducive for the development of atherosclerotic risk
      factors and coronary heart disease (CHD).

      In order to investigate the impact of pomegranate polyphenols on postprandial flow-mediated
      dilation, nitric oxide, glucose, insulin, triglycerides levels in men, we propose to achieve
      the following specific aims using a randomized study design:

        1. Peripheral arterial reactivity by tonometry after a high fat meal with pomegranate
           consumption

        2. To measure nitric oxide and insulin response after a high fat meal and pomegranate
           consumption
    

Intervention name(s): Water; Pomegranate Juice; Pomegranate extract
Intervention type(s): Other; Dietary Supplement; Dietary Supplement
Intervention description(s): All subjects will consume ground beef patty meal with water at the baseline visit.; Pomegranate Juice will be taken 1/day for 4 weeks.; Pomegranate extract will be taken 1/day for 4 weeks.
Other intervention name(s): PJ; PomX
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: None (Open Label)
Primary purpose: Prevention
Keywords: heart health