Supplementation with fruit and vegetable concentrate decreases plasma homocysteine levels in a dietary controlled trial

Abstract 

An elevated level of total plasma homocysteine (tHcy) is considered to be a predictor of the mortality risk for all diseases. A high consumption of vegetables and citrus fruit, both good sources of folate, decreases the concentration of tHcy. We investigated if supplementation of concentrated fruit and vegetables is able to decrease tHcy concentrations. For this purpose, we used a product that is presently on the market, made up of fruit and vegetable powders. 26 subjects participated in a cross-over design intervention trial. At the end of the study, each participant received 2 capsules of fruit and 2 capsules of vegetables a day for 4 weeks and then acted his/her own control for another 4 weeks. Daily extract intake decreased plasma tHcy from an expected mean ± SD level of 12.71 ± 3.23 umol/L observed after the 28-day control period to 7.98 ± 1.70 umol/L, a difference of 4.73 ± 1.153 (p < 0.001).

Elevated tHcy is a risk factor causally linked to chronic disease. The plasma tHcy concentration was decreased as a result of taking a powdered fruit and vegetable extract on a daily basis.

Keywords: Homocysteine, Folate, Vegetables, Fruit, Italy