(P01-082-20) Enhancing the Cardiovascular Protective Effects of a Healthy Dietary Pattern with Wolfberry (Lycium barbarum): A Randomized Controlled Trial

Objectives: The study aimed to investigate the impact of wolfberry (Lycium barbarum) consumption as part of a healthy dietary pattern on cardiovascular health in Singaporean middle-aged and older adults. It was hypothesized that the consumption of wolfberry could further enhance the cardiovascular protective effects of a healthy dietary pattern.

Methods: This was a 16 week, parallel design, randomized controlled trial where 40 Singaporean men and women (aged 50 to 64 years) received dietary counselling to follow a healthy dietary pattern either with or without 15 g/day of dried whole wolfberry, cooked and consumed as part of their meals. Blood pressure, serum lipid-lipoprotein concentrations and dietary compliance using 3-day food records were monitored every 4 weeks. Further evaluation of cardiovascular disease (CVD) biomarkers, broadly classified as serological (total nitrate/nitrite, endothelin-1, intercellular adhesion molecule-1, angiopoietin-1, angiopoietin-2 and von-Willebrand factor), structural (carotid intima-media thickness using B-mode ultrasonography) and functional (flow-mediated dilation using B-mode ultrasonography and circulating endothelial progenitor cells (CD34+/KDR+) by fluorescence-activated cell sorting) were analyzed before and after intervention.

Results: Adherence to a healthy dietary pattern contributed to a time dependent effect on both the plasma total nitrate/nitrite (P < 0.01) and plasma endothelin-1 (P < 0.005) which were raised and lowered respectively at week 16. However, changes were significant only in the wolfberry group (total nitrate/nitrite: 15.9 ± 1.8 to 19.4 ± 2.2 μmol/L, P < 0.05; endothelin-1: 1.31 ± 0.12 to 1.11 ± 0.10 ng/L, P < 0.01) and not in the control group. Moreover, a significant increase in serum high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol was also detected solely in the wolfberry group (1.56 ± 0.10 to 1.65 ± 0.10 mmol/L, P < 0.05). The other serological, structural and functional biomarkers of cardiovascular health showed no observable change after the intervention.

Conclusions: Incorporating wolfberry to your daily meals may augment the cardiovascular protective benefits of a healthy dietary pattern by improving the regulation of vascular tone and plasma lipid-lipoprotein profile in Singaporean middle-aged and older adults.

Funding Sources: Ministry of Education, Singapore