The Impact of an 8-Week Supplementation with Fermented and Non-Fermented Aronia Berry Pulp on Cardiovascular Risk Factors in Individuals with Type 2 Diabetes

Abstract

Aronia berries contain antioxidants that may be health-promoting, e.g., demonstrated positive effects on hypertension and dyslipidaemia. There is a close link between cardiovascular diseases and hypertension and dyslipidaemia, and cardiovascular events are the leading cause of death among subjects with type 2 diabetes (T2D). Thus, we investigated the effect of an 8-week supplementation with fermented aronia extract (FAE), non-fermented aronia extract (AE), and placebo on cardiovascular risk factors. Snack bars were produced containing 34 g (37%) aronia extract, or 17 g (21%) wheat bran for placebo, as well as raisins and coconut oil. The study was randomized and blinded with a triple-crossover design. We examined the effects of aronia extracts on blood pressure, adiponectin, and high-sensitive C-reactive protein, and found no effects. After supplementation with placebo, there were significantly higher blood concentrations of total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, and HDL-cholesterol, with the placebo group showing significantly higher increases in total cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol than the AE group. Furthermore, we observed an increase in HDL-cholesterol in the FAE group and an increase in triglyceride in the AE group. Thus, we assume that the raisins may have increased the participants’ cholesterol levels, with both AE and FAE having the potential to prevent this increase.

Anthocyanins and Type 2 Diabetes: An Update of Human Study and Clinical Trial

“…Interestingly, an increased level of HDL-c was observed in a group of patients with diabetes supplemented with anthocyanin-rich bars. However, in the same study, an unexpected increase in triglyceride levels was observed [ 82 ]. Finally, data from two meta-analyses of RCTs involving patients with T2DM reported that chronic supplementation with pure anthocyanins or anthocyanin-rich extracts had a beneficial effect on blood lipid levels [ 76 , 80 ].…”

“…Not all studies provide significant effects of ACNs on HOMA-IR levels in diabetes patients and subjects at high diabetic risk [ 76 , 78 , 79 , 82 , 83 ]. Apart from a significant reduction in FBG at a median dose of 320 mg/day, anthocyanin intake had no beneficial effect on HOMA-IR, as well as fasting insulin levels, according to a meta-analysis by Mao, which included 703 individuals with T2DM from thirteen RCTs [ 76 ].…”

“…Recently, ACN-rich products were linked to reducing dyslipidemia in T2DM patients [ 72 , 73 , 76 , 80 , 82 , 83 , 84 ]. Four-week dietary supplementation with Alixir 400 PROTECT ® (Pharmanova, Belgrade, Serbia) (120 mg of anthocyanins/day) improved total cholesterol (TC), LDL-cholesterol (LDL-c), triglycerides (TGs), and HDL-cholesterol (HDL-c) in 143 individuals with both MetS and MetS and confirmed diabetes [ 73 ].…”