Yale-Griffin Research Center Gets Grant To Study Juice Plus+ For Heart Health

DERBY — The Yale-Griffin Prevention Research Center, located at Griffin Hospital in Derby, has received a grant from NSA, LLC to study the health effects of a fruit-vegetable concentrate that is high in antioxidants. Specifically, the study will examine the effects of consuming Juice Plus+ capsules for eight weeks on endothelial function, a measure of heart health, in overweight men.

Obesity has become much more prevalent in the United States during the last 50 years, with more than 66 percent of adults now considered overweight or obese. Obesity can raise the risk for complications that can lead to cardiovascular disease.

These include high triglyceride levels, high cholesterol levels, insulin resistance, blood vessel walls that are chronically inflamed, and poor endothelial function. The endothelium is a thin layer of cells that line the inside of blood vessels, and endothelial function is a measure of the ability of blood vessels to dilate properly.

Endothelial function can be measured by testing blood flow in the arm with an ultrasound machine. “When endothelial function is normal, a blood vessel will dilate when more blood flow is needed,” explained Dr David L. Katz, director of the Prevention Research Center and principal investigator of the study. “With endothelium dysfunction, a blood vessel constricts and reduces flow instead. This is important because blood vessels in the arm behave just like those that carry blood to the heart. This reaction is very likely to predict susceptibility to heart disease or heart attack.”

Fruits and vegetables are high in antioxidants, which are thought to help blood vessels dilate properly and to reduce inflammation. Juice Plus+ capsules, manufactured by Natural Alternatives International in San Marcos, Calif., and distributed by National Safety Associates of Collierville, Tenn., via direct or multilevel marketing, are rich in antioxidants such as beta-carotene, vitamin E and vitamin C, along with other nutrients.

The study will examine whether the benefits of fruits and vegetables, when concentrated into these capsules, can help a group of overweight adults to improve measures of heart health. Answering this question will especially be useful for people who find it hard to consume the recommended amounts of fruit and vegetables on a daily basis.

The Yale-Griffin Prevention Research Center is recruiting 70 participants for this study. Overweight men aged 25 to 75 years are invited to contact the research team to learn if they qualify to be part of this study.

Participants who complete the study will receive $200 for their time, along with personal health information, such as blood pressure and endothelial function. To participate or for more information, contact Dr Yingying Ma at yingying.ma@yalegriffinprc.org or 203-732-1265, extension 220.