Dried fruit consumption and cardiometabolic health: a randomised crossover trial.
Fruit intake is associated with lower risk of cardiometabolic diseases. However, effects of dried fruits on cardiometabolic health are not well researched. We investigated the effect of daily dried fruit consumption compared with a carbohydrate-rich snack on cardiometabolic disease risk factors in adults with increased cardiometabolic risk. A two-period randomised crossover trial was conducted in adults (n 55) with elevated BMI and at least one additional risk factor for cardiometabolic disease to compare the effects of consuming 3/4 cup/d mixed dried fruits (plums, figs, dates and raisins) or an energy- and carbohydrate-matched control snack for 4 weeks. The primary outcome was LDL-cholesterol; secondary outcomes included other lipids and lipoproteins, glucose and insulin, C-reactive protein, blood pressure and vascular stiffness. Linear mixed models were used for data analysis. Lipid and lipoprotein concentrations did not differ between conditions; however, dried fruit increased LDL-cholesterol (0·10 mmol/l, 95 % CI 0·01, 0·20) compared with baseline. Compared with the control, dried fruit increased mean fasting glucose (0·08 mmol/l, 95 % CI 0·005, 0·16; P = 0·038). Vascular outcomes, fasting insulin and C-reactive protein did not differ between conditions. Mean weight changes did not differ (P = 0·55) but tended to increase after both conditions (dried fruit 0·3 kg, 95 % CI -0·09, 0·65; control 0·4 kg, 95 % CI 0·01, 0·75). Thus, short-term daily consumption of a large portion of mixed dried plums, figs, dates and raisins, without structured dietary guidance, did not improve cardiometabolic risk factors, compared with carbohydrate-rich snacks, in adults with increased baseline cardiometabolic risk.
['Sullivan|Valerie K|VK|0000-0002-2321-0188', 'Petersen|Kristina S|KS|0000-0003-3914-0353', 'Kris-Etherton|Penny M|PM|']
D000328:Adult D001786:Blood Glucose D001794:Blood Pressure D002097:C-Reactive Protein D000083202:Cardiometabolic Risk Factors D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases D008078:Cholesterol, LDL D018592:Cross-Over Studies D004032:Diet D004040:Dietary Carbohydrates D004435:Eating D005260:Female D057141:Food, Preserved D005638:Fruit D006801:Humans D007328:Insulin D016014:Linear Models D008055:Lipids D008074:Lipoproteins D008297:Male D008875:Middle Aged D062410:Snacks D059289:Vascular Stiffness
Dried fruit Cardiometabolic risk Fasting glucose Cholesterol Phenolic compounds Sugar Vascular health