Objective: To evaluate the effects of moderate-term açaí and juçara juice intake on fasting glucose, lipid profile, and oxidative stress biomarkers in healthy subjects.
Methods: A randomized cross-over study was performed with 30 healthy adults. The subjects were assigned to drink 200 mL/day of açaí or juçara juice for four weeks with a 4-week washout period. Before and after each nutritional intervention, blood samples were obtained to evaluate the outcomes: fasting glucose, total cholesterol, triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-c), low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-c), small, dense LDL-c (sd-LDL-c), total antioxidant capacity (TAC), total oxidant status (TOS), oxidative stress index (OSI), uric acid, and activity of the enzymes superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and glutathione peroxidase (GPx).
Results: After four weeks, açaí and juçara juices increased the concentrations of HDL-c by 7.7% and 11.4%, respectively (P < 0.05). In addition, açaí juice intake promoted significant increases in TAC (66.7%), CAT (275.1%), GPx (15.3%), and a decrease in OSI (55.7%) compared to baseline (P < 0.05 for all). Juçara juice intake significantly increased CAT activity (~15.0%) in relation to baseline. No significant intergroup differences were observed for any outcomes (P > 0.05).
Conclusion: The results indicated a positive impact of regular consumption of açaí and juçara juices on the HDL-c levels, as well as on the antioxidant enzyme activities, which may contribute to cardiovascular health.
Keywords: Anthocyanins; Antioxidant activity; Cholesterol; Intervention study; Lipoproteins.
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