Department of Food Science & Technology, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.
Department of Cardiology, National University Heart Centre, Singapore, Singapore.
Am J Clin Nutr. 2021 Jul 1;114(1):80-89. doi: 10.1093/ajcn/nqab062.
The consumption of wolfberry (Lycium barbarum), a rich source of carotenoids and bioactive polysaccharides, may serve as a potential dietary strategy for cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk management although limited studies examined its effects as whole fruits.
To investigate the impact of wolfberry consumption as part of a healthy dietary pattern on vascular health-related outcomes and classical CVD risk factors in middle-aged and older adults in Singapore.
This is a 16-week, parallel design, randomized controlled trial. All participants (n = 40) received dietary counselling to follow healthy dietary pattern recommendations with the wolfberry group given additional instructions to cook and consume 15 g/d whole, dried wolfberry with their main meals. Biomarkers of vascular function (flow-mediated dilation, plasma total nitrate/nitrite, endothelin-1, and intercellular adhesion molecule-1), vascular structure (carotid intima-media thickness) and vascular regeneration (endothelial progenitor cell count, plasma angiopoietin 1 and angiopoietin 2), were assessed at baseline and postintervention. Serum lipid-lipoproteins and blood pressure were evaluated every 4 weeks.
All participants showed an improved compliance toward the healthy dietary pattern. This was coupled with marked rises in total nitrate/nitrite concentrations (mean change wolfberry: 3.92 ± 1.73 nmol/mL; control: 5.01 ± 2.55 nmol/L) and reductions in endothelin-1 concentrations (wolfberry: -0.19 ± 0.06 pg/mL; control: -0.15 ± 0.08 pg/mL). Compared with the control which depicted no changes from baseline, the wolfberry group had a significantly higher HDL cholesterol (0.08 ± 0.04 mmol/L), as well as lower Framingham predicted long-term CVD risk (-0.8 ± 0.5%) and vascular age (-1.9 ± 1.0 y) postintervention. No differences were observed in the other vascular health-related outcomes.
In middle-aged and older adults, adherence to a healthy dietary pattern improves vascular tone. Incorporating wolfberry to the diet further improves blood lipid-lipoprotein profile and may lower long-term CVD risk. This study was registered at clinicatrials.gov as NCT03535844.
枸杞（Lycium barbarum）是类胡萝卜素和生物活性多糖的丰富来源，作为心血管疾病（CVD）风险管理的潜在饮食策略，其可能具有一定作用，尽管有限的研究考察了其作为完整水果的作用。
在新加坡的中年和老年人中，研究作为健康饮食模式一部分的枸杞摄入对血管健康相关结果和经典 CVD 风险因素的影响。
这是一项为期 16 周、平行设计、随机对照试验。所有参与者（n=40）均接受饮食咨询，以遵循健康饮食模式建议，枸杞组还额外接受指示，用主餐烹饪和食用 15 g/d 的完整、干燥枸杞。在基线和干预后评估血管功能（血流介导的扩张、血浆总硝酸盐/亚硝酸盐、内皮素-1 和细胞间黏附分子-1）、血管结构（颈动脉内膜-中层厚度）和血管再生（内皮祖细胞计数、血浆血管生成素 1 和血管生成素 2）的生物标志物。每 4 周评估血清脂质-脂蛋白和血压。
所有参与者均对健康饮食模式的依从性得到改善。这与总硝酸盐/亚硝酸盐浓度的显著升高（枸杞组：3.92±1.73 nmol/mL；对照组：5.01±2.55 nmol/L）和内皮素-1 浓度的降低（枸杞组：-0.19±0.06 pg/mL；对照组：-0.15±0.08 pg/mL）相关。与对照组相比，对照组从基线开始没有变化，而枸杞组的 HDL 胆固醇显著升高（0.08±0.04 mmol/L），Framingham 预测的长期 CVD 风险（-0.8±0.5%）和血管年龄（-1.9±1.0 y）也降低。其他血管健康相关结果无差异。
在中年和老年人中，坚持健康的饮食模式可改善血管张力。在饮食中加入枸杞可进一步改善血脂-脂蛋白谱，可能降低长期 CVD 风险。本研究在 clinicatrials.gov 上注册为 NCT03535844。
