Abstract
Eggplant (Solanum melongena) is a globally popular vegetable and its significant health effect has not been reported in randomized controlled trials. Recently, we reported that eggplant was rich in choline esters, including acetylcholine (ACh), and had an antihypertensive effect in spontaneously hypertensive rats. Here, we evaluated the effects of a continuous intake of eggplant powder on blood pressure (BP), stress, and psychological state (PS) in 100 stressed participants with normal-high BP or grade 1 hypertension in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group comparative study. The participants were randomly assigned to the eggplant or placebo group. Participants in the eggplant group ingested capsules containing eggplant powder (1.2 g/day; 2.3 mg of ACh/day) for 12 weeks, whereas participants in the placebo group ingested placebo capsules. The primary outcome assessed was hospital BP. Secondary outcomes were stress and PS. Eggplant powder intake significantly decreased the hospital diastolic blood pressure (DBP) at week 8 overall and in the normal-high BP group, and the systolic blood pressure (SBP) and DBP at week 12 overall and in the grade 1 hypertension group, compared to those of the placebo group. It also improved negative PSs at week 8 or 12 in the normal-high BP group. This is the first evidence of the BP- and PS-improving effects of eggplant intake in humans. The functional substance responsible for the effects was estimated to be eggplant-derived choline ester, namely ACh.
Highlights
According to a report published on World Health Day, cardiovascular disease accounts for approximately 17 million deaths per year, corresponding to almost one third of total global mortality [1].Hypertension accounts for 9.4 million deaths worldwide every year, contributing to at least 45% of deaths attributed to heart disease and 51% of those attributed to stroke
Our research found only two clinical trials investigating eggplant related to the cholesterol-lowering effects in hypercholesterolemic participants [10] and its efficacy in reducing fat mass in overweight women [11]
We have reported the isolation of ACh and lactoylcholine from lactic acid bacteria-fermented food with a hypotensive effect in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs) and reported that choline esters might be responsible for the blood pressure (BP)-lowering effect [14,15]
Summary
According to a report published on World Health Day, cardiovascular disease accounts for approximately 17 million deaths per year, corresponding to almost one third of total global mortality [1]. Hypertension accounts for 9.4 million deaths worldwide every year, contributing to at least 45% of deaths attributed to heart disease and 51% of those attributed to stroke. Prevention and management of hypertension are major public health challenges worldwide. Several studies have shown that lifestyle modifications, including dietary changes, physical exercise, and weight loss, can contribute to the primary prevention of hypertension and significantly reduce blood pressure (BP) in people with established hypertension [2,3,4]. Functional foods with antihypertensive effects are expected to prevent and manage hypertension [5]. In Japan, functional foods for people with higher than normal
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