Phytonutrients are regarded to play an important role in many health-related issues like:
- Improvement of redox balance
- Anti-inflammatory effects
- Prevention of chronic diseases like CVD, stroke, diabetes II, Alzheimer´s, AMD, and certain forms of cancer
- Beneficial effects on human´s microbiome Therefore it is of scientific interest whether this product provides absorbable phytonutrients/phenolics and vitamins to support mechanistic explanations for the beneficial outcomes observed in the past after intake of Juice Plus+®.
GOAL To identify absorption kinetics and bioavailability of phenolic compounds and specific vitamins from encapsulated Juice Plus+® powder
MERITS
- This study would reveal knowledge whether and to which extent specific vitamins and phenolic compounds are absorbed, including absorption kinetics/metabolism.
- Data of this study may provide support for mechanistic arguments on the beneficial clinical outcomes observed and published in the past.
ENDPOINTS
- Absorption kinetics of phenolic compounds in plasma
- Bioavailability of vitamins C, E, and carotenoids into plasma
Absorption kinetics of phytonutrients:
- Open-, one-arm study, absorption kinetics over 10 hours
- 5 blood sample collections: baseline (= 0); 1hr, 2hrs, 5hrs and 10 hours after intake of 3 capsules
- Wash-out of all food supplements and dietetic foodstuff: 2 weeks
- Wash-out of phytonutrients: 48 hours before baseline sampling, accomplished via a phytonutrient-poor diet.
Bioavailability of vitamins C, E, A and carotenoids:
- Open-, one-arm study over 8 weeks
- 2 blood sample collections: at baseline (2 weeks after the phenolics experiment) and after 8-weeks
- Wash-out of all food supplements and dietetic foodstuff: 4 weeks, 2 weeks before the phenolics experiment + another 2 weeks Subjects: 20 healthy subjects from Graz region, meeting all inclusion criterions (see underneath).