Influence of Tart Cherry Juice Intervention on Vascular Function

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the primary cause of morbidity and mortality. Tart cherries (TC) can positively impact major risk factors of CVD, activities thought to be related to their phytochemical content. However, data from human trials is less clear. TC have been shown to reduce systolic blood pressure (SBP) after acute, short-term and chronic intake, and to improve vascular dysfunction, presumably due to their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. Other studies have not shown benefits of TC on SBP or vascular function and studies are difficult to interpret with different populations, dosing and durations being used as well as a lack of understanding for any underlying mechanisms. To account for the latter, the use of metabolomics has become increasingly popular in nutritional research. Therefore, the aim of this preliminary study was to characterise the effects of TC supplementation on vascular function with a 4-week intervention and explore if metabolomics can provide mechanistic evidence and this will inform for future chronic studies with TC juice.

Inclusion criteria

• aged 19-40
• no diagnosed issues with the ability to consume fruit juice
• no known food intolerances to fruits

Exclusion criteria

• participants that are cigarette smokers
• participants diagnosed with hypertension
• participants diagnosed with any form of cardiometabolic diseases
• participants that require any prescribed prescriptions excluding the contraceptive pill
• participants that are regular consumers of cherries (>100 g/d)
• participants that consume any antioxidant supplements