Effect of Watermelon on Cardiometabolic Health

About

Brief Summary

The purpose of this study is to determine whether consumption of 355 ml of watermelon juice will:

improve cardiovascular and overall metabolic health markers like blood pressure, heart rate, stiffness/flexibility of arteries (blood vessels), blood sugar, cholesterol), and gut hormones
contribute to the body's ability to protect itself from the potential cell damage caused by harmful chemical compounds (produced when skin is exposed to ultraviolet (UV) B light, for example). This will be evaluated by measuring how resistant skin is to the damage from UVB light exposure, as well as several markers of bodily stress blood and urine.

This will be determined immediately after consuming the juice (to evaluate the effects the juice has on health right away), as well as after 4 weeks of daily juice consumption (to evaluate the effects the juice has on health when consumed consistently over time).

Primary Purpose

Prevention

Study Type

Interventional

Phase

Phase 3

Eligibility

Gender

Female

Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Minimum Age

N/A

Maximum Age

N/A

Inclusion Criteria:

Female
Generally healthy
Postmenopausal
BMI 25-40 kg/m2
Systolic blood pressure 120-139 mmHg and/or diastolic 80-89 mmHg
Fitzpatrick Skin type II-IV
Consume a typical Western diet (low in polyphenol/lycopene-rich foods and fiber)
Willing to maintain habitual dietary and exercise patterns for the study duration
Willing to maintain normal skin care products and pattern for the duration of the study
Willing to come to Baseline Visit B and Week 4 study visits without any makeup and skin products on
Subjects must read and sign the Institutional Review Board-approved written informed consent prior to the initiation of any study specific procedures or enrollment. A subject will be excluded for any condition that might compromise the ability to give truly informed consent.

Exclusion Criteria:

Non-English speaker
Vegetarian/vegan
Known watermelon allergy
Skin-related prescription medication, supplements, or non-prescription cosmeceutical agents
Initiation of topical or oral prescription steroids and/or anti-inflammatory medications within 30 days prior to study enrollment
Excessive exposure to either natural or artificial sunlight. Exposure to sunlight will be evaluated using Fitzpatrick Skin Type test score. Individuals receiving scores higher than the upper cutoff of the proposed range for the specific skin type will be excluded
Screening laboratory values outside of the normal range that is considered clinically significant for study participation by the investigator
Documented chronic disease, including diabetes, renal or liver diseases, metabolic syndrome, active cancer, MI or stroke, history of gastric bypass or GI disease (e.g., Crohn's disease, IBD, diverticulosis, diverticulitis, etc.)
Taking medications or supplements known to affect metabolism or gut microbiota composition (antibiotics within the past 3 months, probiotics, fiber, etc.), unless willing to stop for the study duration
Taking exogenous hormones (e.g., hormone replacement therapy)
Recent weight fluctuations (>10% in the last 6 months)
Smoker or living with a smoker
Use of >20 g of alcohol per day
Unable or unwilling to comply with the study protocol (including unwillingness to avoid watermelon and other lycopene-rich foods for the whole duration of the study)
Unable to provide consent