title: Beetroot juice improves in overweight and slightly obese men postprandial endothelial function after consumption of a mixed meal.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Through effects on nitric oxide (NO) bioavailability, endothelial function is improved after the intake of beetroot juice-which is rich in inorganic nitrate-, but decreased after the intake of a meal.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The objective of this study was to examine if beetroot juice could counteract the impairment of endothelial function associated with the ingestion of a mixed meal.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty healthy overweight and slightly obese men with a BMI between 28 and 35 kg/m(2) received in random order a mixed meal providing 56.6 g of fat with beetroot juice or a control drink. The beetroot juice (140 mL) provided approximately 500 mg dietary nitrate. Flow-mediated dilation (FMD) of the brachial artery was measured before and 2 h after meal consumption. Blood was sampled at regular intervals.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Postprandial changes in serum triacylglycerol (TAG) (P = 0.69), plasma glucose (P = 0.84) and insulin (P = 0.67) concentrations were comparable between the meals. After consumption of beetroot juice, the postprandial impairment in FMD following a standardized mixed meal was improved (P = 0.030) compared with the control drink (-0.37 ± 2.92% versus -1.56 ± 2.90%). Following beetroot juice consumption, plasma concentrations of the circulating NO pool were higher at T60, T120, and T240 (P < 0.001 at all time points).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In healthy overweight and slightly obese men a single dose of beetroot juice attenuates the postprandial impairment of FMD following a mixed meal, possibly through increases in plasma NO concentrations.
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Biology, NUTRIM School for Nutrition, Toxicology and Metabolism, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, The Netherlands; Top Institute of Food and Nutrition (TIFN), Wageningen, The Netherlands. Electronic address: p.joris@maastrichtuniversity.nl.
authors.forename: Peter J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Joris
authors.forename: Ronald P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Mensink
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D027461:Beta vulgaris / Q000737:chemistry*; D001628:Beverages; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D001786:Blood Glucose; D001916:Brachial Artery / Q000503:physiopathology; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000187:drug effects / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005502:Food; D006801:Humans; D007328:Insulin / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009589:Nitrogen Oxides / Q000097:blood; D009765:Obesity / Q000503:physiopathology*; D050177:Overweight / Q000503:physiopathology*; D019518:Postprandial Period; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood; D059289:Vascular Stiffness / Q000187:drug effects; D014664:Vasodilation / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D007328:Insulin; D009589:Nitrogen Oxides; D014280:Triglycerides
keywords: Beetroot juice; Endothelial dysfunction; Flow-mediated dilation; Inorganic nitrate; Postprandial lipemia