Daily consumption of apple, pear and orange juice differently affects plasma lipids and antioxidant capacity of smoking and non-smoking adults

Abstract

Epidemiological studies have shown an inverse correlation between a fruit and vegetable-rich diet and cardiovascular diseases; this beneficial effect of fruits and vegetables is probably due to the presence of antioxidant phytochemicals. In contrast, cigarette smoking is a high risk factor for lung and heart diseases, associated with chronic oxidative stress. In the present study, the effect of the consumption of a pear, an apple and 200 ml orange juice, during 26 days, on total plasma antioxidant capacity (TAC) and lipid profile of chronic smokers and non-smoking healthy adults was analyzed. Fruit consumption increased TAC in non-smokers, but not in smokers. In non-smokers, total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, and low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol increased significantly; while in smokers, total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol decreased. We may conclude fruit/juice supplementation showed different effects, depending on the smoking habit: in non-smokers it increased TAC and cholesterol; in smokers it reduced cholesterol, whithout inducing a TAC increase.

Keywords::

• Fruit consumption
• ferric reducing/antioxidant power
• oxygen radical antioxidant capacity
• cholesterol
• cigarette smoking

Acknowledgements

Part of this paper was presented at the Third Conference on Food Science and Food Biotechnology in Developing Countries, Queretaro, Mexico, October 2008. PL and LS thank CONACYT for a bachelor degree scholarship.

Declaration of interest: Financial support from CONACYT (CHIH-2006-C01-56462) and PROMEP (UACJCA03-2007) is gratefully acknowledged. The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.