Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Effect of Freeze-Dried Red Beet (Beta vulgaris L.) Leaf Supplementation on Biochemical and Anthropometrical Parameters in Overweight and Obese Individuals: a Pilot Study

  • Short Communication
  • Published:
Plant Foods for Human Nutrition Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Obesity is an important public health concern and is directly related with chronic noncommunicable diseases that affect the health of millions of people around the world. This study was held to verify the short-term effects related to the consumption of freeze-dried red beet leaves on biochemical and anthropometrical parameters of volunteers with overweight/obesity and dyslipidemia. Participants (n = 36) were divided at random into two groups. The control group (CG) received nutritional guidance only, and the intervention group (IG) received nutritional guidance and consumed 2.8 g of freeze-dried red beet leaves for four weeks. Biochemical tests and anthropometric measurements were collected, before and after intervention. The distribution of the characteristics between groups was similar. Parameters related to body weight and body mass index (BMI) had a significant reduction in the two groups (p = 0.05). Significant reduction on LDL-cholesterol was found only for the IG (p < 0.01). These data suggest a potential effect of consumption of red beet leaves on the health of individuals with overweight or obesity.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

References

  1. World Health Organization. Obesity and overweight. 2018. Available at:〈http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs311/en/〉. Accessed 16 Feb 2019

  2. Santilli F, Guagnano MT, Vazzana N, La Barba S, Davi G (2015) Oxidative stress drivers and modulators in obesity and cardiovascular disease: from biomarkers to therapeutic approach. Curr Med Chem 22(5):582–595. https://doi.org/10.2174/0929867322666141128163739

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Namazi N, Larijani B, Azadbakht L (2018) Alpha-lipoic acid supplement in obesity treatment: a systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical trials. Clin Nutr 37(2):419–428. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clnu.2017.06.002

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Arts ICW, Hollman PCH (2005) Polyphenols and disease risk in epidemiologic studies. Am J Clin Nutr 81(1Suppl):317S325S. https://doi.org/10.1093/ajcn/81.1.317S

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Ninfali P, Angelino D (2013) Nutritional and functional potential of Beta vulgaris cicla and rubra. Fitoterapia 89:188–199. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fitote.2013.06.004

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Prosky L, Asp NG, Schweizer TF, DeVries JW, Furda I (1988) Determination of insoluble, soluble, and total dietary fiber in foods and food products: interlaboratory study. J Assoc Off Anal Chem 71(5):1017–1023

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Mirtaheri E, Namazi N, Alizadeh M, Sargheini N, Karimi S (2015) Effects of dried licorice extract with low-calorie diet on lipid profile and atherogenic indices in overweight and obese subjects: a randomized controlled clinical trial. Eur J Integr Med 7(3):287–293

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Lee JH, Son CW, Kim MY, Kim MH, Kim HR, Kwak ES, Kim S, Kim MR (2009) Red beet (Beta vulgaris L.) leaf supplementation improves antioxidant status in C57BL/6J mice fed high fat high cholesterol diet. Nutr Res Pract 3(2):114–121. https://doi.org/10.4162/nrp.2009.3.2.114

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  9. Michaličková D, Belović M, Nebojša I, Kotur-Stevuljević J, Slanař O, Šobajić4 S (2019) Comparison of polyphenol-enriched tomato juice and standard tomato juice for cardiovascular benefits in subjects with stage 1 hypertension: a randomized controlled study. Plant Foods Hum Nutr. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11130-019-0714-5

  10. WHO - World Health Organization. Diet, nutrition, and the prevention of chronic diseases. 2003;160. http://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/10665/42665/1/WHO_TRS_916.pdf. Accessed 16 Feb 2019

Download references

Acknowledgements

Our thanks to the nutritionist Marcela Calsa and to the Outpatient Specialty Clinic of the state of São Paulo / Limeira / UNICAMP. This work was supported by research FAPESP grant (process 2016-06457-0). CAPES grant (Finance Code 001).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Applied Sciences, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Rua Pedro Zaccaria, 1300, Limeira, São Paulo, 13484-350, Brazil

    Ana Paula Ribeiro Barcelos de Castro, Diogo Thimoteo da Cunha, Adriane Elisabete Costa Antunes, Ligiana Pires Corona & Rosângela Maria Neves Bezerra

Authors
  1. Ana Paula Ribeiro Barcelos de Castro
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Diogo Thimoteo da Cunha
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Adriane Elisabete Costa Antunes
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Ligiana Pires Corona
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Rosângela Maria Neves Bezerra
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Rosângela Maria Neves Bezerra.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of Interest

We declare no conflict of interest.

Additional information

Publisher’s Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Electronic Supplementary Material

ESM 1

(DOCX 16 kb)

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

de Castro, A.P.R.B., da Cunha, D.T., Antunes, A.E.C. et al. Effect of Freeze-Dried Red Beet (Beta vulgaris L.) Leaf Supplementation on Biochemical and Anthropometrical Parameters in Overweight and Obese Individuals: a Pilot Study. Plant Foods Hum Nutr 74, 232–234 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11130-019-00730-0

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11130-019-00730-0

Keywords

Search

Navigation