Original Article
European Journal of Clinical Nutrition (2008) 62, 1123–1130; doi:10.1038/sj.ejcn.1602831; published online 27 June 2007
Effects of sea buckthorn berries on infections and inflammation: a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial
Guarantor: R Tahvonen.
Contributors: RT was responsible for the study concept, supervision and design. PL contributed to study design and was responsible for recruitment of the participants, data collection and entry, writing the manuscript and with RT and JA for analysis of data and interpretation of results. JA was responsible for the sample size estimation, randomization of the participants, statistical analysis of the data, and contributed to writing the paper. ES and HK contributed to the design of the study. RT, ES and HK revised the manuscript critically for important intellectual content.
P Larmo1,2, J Alin3, E Salminen4, H Kallio2 and R Tahvonen1,5
- 1Functional Foods Forum, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
- 2Department of Biochemistry and Food Chemistry, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
- 3Department of Biostatistics, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
- 4Department of Radiotherapy and Oncology, Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland
- 5Functional Foods Forum/EPANET, University of Turku, Seinäjoki, Finland
Correspondence: P Larmo, Department of Biochemistry and Food Chemistry, University of Turku, Vatselankatu 2, Turku, FIN-20014, Finland. E-mail: petra.larmo@utu.fi
Received 7 December 2006; Revised 3 May 2007; Accepted 20 May 2007; Published online 27 June 2007.
Abstract
Objective:
To study the effect of sea buckthorn berries on the number and duration of common cold (CC) infections. As secondary objectives the effects on digestive and urinary tract infections (DTI, UTI), and serum C-reactive protein (CRP) concentrations were also investigated.
Subjects:
A total of 254 healthy volunteers were randomly assigned to receive sea buckthorn or placebo product during the study, which 233 of them completed.
Results:
There were no significant differences in the number or duration of CC or DTI between groups (CC: relative risks (sea buckthorn vs placebo) for the number and duration were 1.15 (95% CI 0.90–1.48) and 1.05 (95% CI 0.87–1.27), respectively). In the sea buckthorn group, as compared to the placebo, the serum CRP concentrations decreased significantly (difference in median change -0.059 mg/l, P=0.039). The number of UTI was too small to draw solid conclusions, but the results indicate the subject merits further investigation.
Conclusion:
Sea buckthorn berries did not prevent CC or DTI. However, a reductive effect on CRP, a marker of inflammation, and a risk factor for cardiovascular diseases, was detected.
Keywords:
Hippophaë, common cold, C-reactive protein, infection
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