Strawberries decrease atherosclerotic markers in subjects with metabolic syndrome

Strawberries have been reported to be potent antioxidants and reduce cardiovascular risk factors, such as elevated blood pressure, hyperglycemia, dyslipidemia, and inflammation in limited studies. We hypothesized that freeze-dried strawberry supplementation will improve blood pressure, impaired glucose, dyslipidemia, or circulating adhesion molecules in obese subjects with metabolic syndrome, thereby lowering cardiovascular risk factors in these subjects. Twenty-seven subjects with metabolic syndrome (2 males and 25 females; body mass index, 37.5 ± 2.15 kg/m2; age, 47.0 ± 3.0 years [means ± SE]) consumed 4 cups of freeze-dried strawberry beverage (50g freeze-dried strawberries ∼ 3 cups fresh strawberries) or equivalent amounts of fluids (controls, 4 cups of water) daily for 8 weeks in a randomized controlled trial. Anthropometrics and blood pressure measurements, assessment of dietary intakes, and fasting blood draws were conducted at screen and 8 weeks of the study. Strawberry supplementation significantly decreased total and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (5.8 ± 0.2 to 5.2 ± 0.2 mmol/L and 3.5 ± 0.2 to 3.1 ± 0.1 mmol/L, respectively [means ± SE], P < .05) and small low-density lipoprotein particles using nuclear magnetic resonance–determined lipoprotein subclass profile vs controls at 8 weeks (794.6 ± 94.0 to 681.8 ± 86.0 nmol/L [means ± SE], P < .05). Strawberry supplementation further decreased circulating levels of vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 vs controls at 8 weeks (272.7 ± 17.4 to 223.0 ± 14.0 ng/mL [means ± SE], P < .05). Serum glucose, triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, blood pressure, and waist circumference were not affected. Thus, short-term freeze-dried strawberry supplementation improved selected atherosclerotic risk factors, including dyslipidemia and circulating adhesion molecules in subjects with metabolic syndrome, and these results need confirmation in future trials.