Effects of Cranberry Powder Supplements on Gut Microbiota Diversity and Metabolic Syndrome
Condition: Overweight; Insulin Resistance; Microbiota; Endotoxemia; Metabolic Syndrome
MeSH terms: Endotoxemia; Overweight; Metabolic Syndrome; Insulin Resistance; Syndrome
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      It is of major importance to refine prevention strategies in order to alleviate inflammation,
      insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome and it appear that improving gut health and
      microbiota represent a promising strategy. Cranberry-enriched diets may help prevent
      metabolic syndrome and its associated chronic diseases by a protective effect of gut health
      and microbiota. It is therefore highly relevant to test the hypothesis that a whole cranberry
      powder supplements (which include a mixture of polyphenols, free and fiber-associated
      proanthocyanidins, and fruits fibers) is associated with changes on the gut health and
      microbiota playing a major role in alleviating inflammation and obesity-associated metabolic
      disorders.
    

Detailed description: 
      Over the past decade it has become clear that the gut microbiota is a key determinant of
      obesity and that its perturbations by nutritional insults play a significant role in the
      development of metabolic complications such as insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes,
      cardiovascular diseases and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Indeed, there is growing
      amounts of studies that have shown that dysbiosis of the intestinal microbiota promotes
      obesity-linked chronic inflammation, and is causally related to diet-induced type 2 diabetes.
      Our group recently published that a polyphenol-rich cranberry extract exert striking effect
      on the gut microbiota of high-fat and high-sucrose fed mice, which was associated with
      prevention of diet-induced weight gain, visceral obesity, insulin resistance and hepatic
      steatosis. Notably, metagenomic analyses of feces of the cranberry extract-treated mice
      suggested that these metabolic effects were associated with a dramatic increase in the
      proportion of Akkermansia muciniphila, a dominant commensal bacterium in the intestinal mucus
      layer which has received particular attention in the last few years since its abundance is
      associated with improved metabolic health and beneficial responses to various interventions
      in both mice and humans with obesity and diabetes. Polyphenols are now recognized as potent
      molecules capable to protect against obesity-linked metabolic diseases and dysbiosis. Among
      polyphenols, there is increasing evidence supporting the beneficial impact of dietary
      proanthocyanidins. Cranberries being rich in proanthocyanidins, we believe that these
      phyto-elements could be associated to their beneficial effects. On the other hand, apart from
      the recognized beneficial effects of fibers on gut health, their association with high
      molecular proanthocyanidins could also contribute to their health benefits.

      The main objective of this study is to investigate in a cross-over randomized
      placebo-controlled clinical trial the beneficial properties of a whole cranberry powder on
      gut microbiota, intestinal health and metabolic syndrome parameters in overweight men.
    

Intervention name(s): Cranberry powder; Placebo
Intervention type(s): Dietary Supplement; Dietary Supplement
Intervention description(s): 3 capsules /day of whole cranberry powder (500mg/each); 3 capsules/day of a placebo comparator
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention model: Crossover Assignment
Masking: Quadruple (Participant, Care Provider, Investigator, Outcomes Assessor)
Primary purpose: Prevention