Effect of bilberries, lingonberries and cinnamon on cardiometabolic risk-associated markers following a hypercaloric-hyperlipidic breakfast

Abstract

Different dietary sources of bioactives may reduce cardiometabolic risk. This work investigated the feasibility of using a high-fat/high-caloric meal challenge as a tool for assessing the cardiometabolic protective effects of three bioactive-rich foods. Thirteen healthy, but overweight volunteers (65.1 ± 5.3 years old, fasting glycemia, ≤6.1 mmol L−1) received a high-fat reference breakfast meal (RM; 910 kcal, 50 E% fat) or three isocaloric test meals incorporating cinnamon (CM, 3 g), bilberry (BM, 100 g) or lingonberry (LM, 100 g) to the high-fat breakfast. Circulating biomarkers associated with cardiometabolic risk were measured postprandially for 4 h. LM and BM attenuated the elevation of cholesterolemia caused by RM. BM also modulated the triacylglyceride response. CM reduced glycemic response, postprandial endotoxemia and C-reactive protein, but increased cholesterolemic response. These postprandial response-modulating actions of bilberries, lingonberries and cinnamon suggest the high-fat/high caloric meal model as a tool for screening protective effects of bioactive-rich foods.

Keywords

• Cardiometabolic risk
• High-fat meal
• Inflammation
• Metabolic endotoxemia
• Postprandial lipidemia
• Postprandial glycemia