Boysenberry and blackcurrant drinks increased the plasma antioxidant capacity in an elderly population but had little effect on other markers of oxidative stress

Abstract

AbstractBACKGROUND: The consumption of fruit and vegetables promotes good health by protecting against various degenerative diseases. Even though the constituents responsible are not known, some evidence indicates that the antioxidant properties of fruit and vegetable phytochemicals are responsible. Previous studies have shown that blackcurrant and Boysenberry reduce oxidative stress using in vitro cell systems. The aim of this study was to determine if blackcurrant or Boysenberry drinks could improve measures of oxidative stress and inflammation in an elderly population with below‐average memory abilities. The intervention parallel study was fully blinded with a placebo control.RESULTS: Of the six measures of oxidative stress assessed, only plasma antioxidant capacity significantly increased for both the Boysenberry and blackcurrant treatments compared with the placebo. Plasma malondialdehyde decreased in both the Boysenberry and blackcurrant treatments although the decrease was not statistically significant. Measures of oxidative stress for protein oxidation and lipid peroxidation improved for the berryfruit treatments during the study but were not statistically different from the placebo.CONCLUSION: Long‐term consumption of both the Boysenberry and blackcurrant drinks raised the plasma total antioxidant capacity of the study participants suggesting that Boysenberry and blackcurrant may help protect against oxidative stress‐related health conditions. Copyright © 2007 Society of Chemical Industry