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| Date: 08-31-2015 | HC# 031524-527 |
Re: Cranberry Juice Cocktail Consumption Is Correlated with Lower Blood Levels of C-reactive Protein
Duffey KJ, Sutherland LA. Adult consumers of cranberry juice cocktail have lower C-reactive protein levels compared with nonconsumers. Nutr Res. February 2015;35(2):118-126.
Consumption of sweetened drinks has been correlated with weight gain, obesity, metabolic syndrome, and diabetes. Sweetened fruit juices are categorized with other sweetened drinks but fruit juices often contain components that provide health benefits, such as antioxidants, vitamins, and fiber, that other sweetened beverages do not contain. Cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon, Ericaceae) juice is high in antioxidants, including proanthocyanidins and anthocyanins, which imparts the dark red color to cranberry juice. Cranberry juice is tart and naturally low in sugar, so sugar is added to make the juice more palatable. Sweetened cranberry juice is often designated cranberry juice cocktail (CJC). The current observational study examined the association of CJC consumption with anthropometric parameters and blood concentrations of inflammatory biomarkers, insulin, and lipids.
Data from subjects (n=10,891) ≤ 19 years of age were taken from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) conducted by the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention between 2005-2008. Of these subjects, 557 were excluded because no data were provided on CJC consumption. The study consisted of a physical examination – which included fasting blood collection, anthropometric measurements, and dietary recall for the last 24-hour period – and a phone interview 3-10 days later, in which subjects again recalled their diet over the previous 24 hours. CJC consumption was calculated as the total consumption for both 24-hour periods. During the physical examination, height, weight, waist circumference, and body mass index (BMI) were measured. Total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein (HDL), triglycerides (TG), glucose, insulin, and C-reactive protein (CRP) were measured in the blood samples. Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) was calculated by subtracting HDL and TG from the total cholesterol concentration. Demographic information was also collected from subjects. Data were analyzed with the Student's t-test, chi-squared analysis, and linear and Poisson regression.
CJC consumers drank an average of 404 mL of CJC per 2-day period, while nonconsumers drank 12 mL of CJC in the same period. CJC consumers had significantly higher carbohydrate and polyphenolic intake than nonconsumers (P<0.05). In addition, CRP concentrations were lower in CJC consumers than nonconsumers (P=0.015). There was a trend towards lower waist circumference, BMI, fasting glucose, insulin, total cholesterol, and TG in CJC consumers, but differences were not statistically significant. In the regression analysis, CJC consumers were more likely to have a smaller waist circumference and lower CRP concentrations than nonconsumers. In addition, CJC consumers were more likely to be of normal weight rather than overweight or obese.
CJC consumption was inversely correlated with blood CRP levels and waist circumference. These results may be directly related to CJC consumption. Alternatively, CJC consumption may be indicative of a generally healthy diet and lifestyle among CJC consumers. While this study does include a measure of total energy intake, it does not control for the consumption of specific food types that would help identify any confounding factors. Previous studies have found a positive relationship between acute cranberry juice consumption and plasma antioxidant levels. This suggests that cranberry juice may lower oxidative stress and inflammation, which would be consistent with the lowered CRP levels found in this study. Yet, other studies have found no relationship between acute cranberry juice consumption and blood antioxidant and CRP levels. This study was limited by its observational nature which made it difficult to infer a direct relationship between CJC consumption and lowered CRP level and smaller waist circumference.
The authors are scientific consultants for Ocean Spray Cranberries, Inc. (Lakeville-Middleboro, Massachusetts), which provided unrestricted funding for the study. The sponsor had no input in the study design or interpretation of the results.
—Cheryl McCutchan, PhD
