4. Discussion
Obesity, obesity, obese, metabolic syndromes, TG, metabolic abnormalities, chronic and degenerative diseases, diabetes
OBESITY, OBESITY, OBESE, INFLAMMATORY RESPONSES, OXIDATIVE STRESS, CVD, INFLAMMATION, LIVER DISEASES, DIABETES, ADVERSE EFFECTS, METABOLIC SYNDROMES, OXIDATIVE STRESS, TYPE 2 DIABETES, DYSLIPIDEMIA
This study assessed the impact of DSC supplementation on inflammation, dyslipidemia, and liver function in obese adults. Results from this study showed that DSC intervention decreased SBP and DBP in obese subjects. Moreover, changes detected in SBP correlated positively with BW and BMI. Studies have shown that BMI is positively correlated with SBP and DBP, evidencing the importance of controlling anthropometric parameters that are increased in obese individuals [IL-1RA is an antagonist to the pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-1 that can attenuate inflammatory processes [Similarly, plasma IL-10 levels did not change significantly in the cherry group but were significantly lower compared to the placebo group at D30. The increase of IL-10 in the placebo group at D30 (IFNγ and MCP-1 are pro-inflammatory cytokines that play an important role in obesity-induced inflammatory responses and are linked to an increased risk for CVD and type 2 diabetes [Obesity predisposes to a chronic inflammatory state which is accompanied by higher levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as RANTES, TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-18. Moreover, CRP and ESR are inflammatory markers, levels of which are increased under metabolic abnormalities such as obesity and related metabolic syndromes [Findings from this study demonstrated that anthropometric (BW and BMI) and HR values as well as IFNγ worsened in the placebo group, accompanied by the counteracting response of increased anti-inflammatory IL-10 and IL-1RA, while in the cherry group these variables remained unchanged over the DSC intervention. A positive and significant correlation between changes in SBP and IFNγ in the cherry group suggests that DSC-mediated IFNγ downregulation contributed to reduce SBP with implications for improved vascular function, as previously reported [Oxidative stress is caused by the imbalance between production of ROS and defense mechanisms involving antioxidant and detoxifying enzymes in the human body. This condition leads to oxidative stress, damage of cells, inflammation, and the initiation and progression of chronic and degenerative diseases, including CVD. Dietary antioxidants such as the DSC polyphenols can protect against oxidative stress due to their ability to inhibit ROS production and remove free radicals by becoming oxidized themselves, thus preventing oxidation reactions that damage cellular macromolecules. In addition, polyphenols inhibit pro-inflammatory molecular signaling pathways which are activated by oxidative stress. Therefore, the antioxidant activity and inhibition of enzymes associated with production of pro-inflammatory molecules by polyphenols from DSC may be the underlying molecular mechanisms by which the production of proinflammatory cytokine IFNγ was suppressed, accompanied by IL-1β lowered levels.DSC supplementation did not modulate levels of blood lipids (TC, TG, HDL, LDL, and non-HDL) in obese adults. These results are consistent with previous studies investigating the role of tart cherry on cardiometabolic risk and reporting no effect on blood lipid levels [Regarding TG levels in cherry and placebo groups, it is important to note that such levels remained within normal limits before and after intervention. Diet and lifestyle factors are key drivers of elevated TG. The significant increase in TG levels observed in cherry and placebo groups may be related to the total fat intake exceeding 30% of the total energy intake in both groups [It is well established that obesity increases the risk of developing diabetes and liver diseases. The anti-diabetic effects of sweet and tart cherries extracts have been reported in animal models [As noted previously, the beneficial effects of DSC consumption seemed to be dependent on the health status of participants before intervention. In this context, no significant changes were found in mean levels of liver enzymes assessed in this study, which were within clinically normal ranges (APh = 30–120 IU/L, AST = 0–35 IU/L, ALT = 0–45 IU/L) [This study is the first, to our knowledge, to evaluate the effect of DSC supplementation in free-living obese adults. The randomization method, which considered the prognostic variables BMI, age, and gender, ensured the balance of most of the analyzed baseline data in both experimental groups. A statistical analysis on data from subjects on medication was performed to find out if DSC intervention could benefit them as complementary intervention for populations having a metabolic condition under treatment, but no significant effects were found mainly because of the small sample size (cherry: There were no significant changes in the cherry group regarding most of the anthropometric and physiological variables, since participants did not modify their diet and physical activity during the intervention. In contrast, BW, BMI, and HR worsened in the placebo group over the intervention period. Lastly, no serious adverse effects were reported by participants in the cherry group, and compliance was ~90%. Therefore, it is reasonable to highlight the benefits of DSC whole fruit and DSC juice as a healthier alternative to artificially sweetened beverages. Among the limitations to be acknowledged in this study are the participant’s self-reported diet and physical activity. Participant’s MyfitnessPal reports showed fewer calories (1911 and 2269 Kcal/day for cherry and placebo groups, respectively) than expected considering age, sex, BW, and BMI (2522 and 2563 Kcal/day in cherry and placebo groups, respectively) according to the Nutribase 19 Pro software (v.19.2).This under-reporting of energy intake affects estimates of nutrient intakes in clinical studies [