Effect of Blueberries on Bone Turnover
- Conditions
- Osteoporosis, PostmenopausalBone Loss, Age-related
- Registration Number
- NCT02630797
- Lead Sponsor
- Purdue University
- Brief Summary
- This study uses a bone labeling calcium tracer methodology to compare the dose-response effect of blueberry consumption on calcium retention and bone loss. Post-menopausal women will receive food or beverage products containing freeze-dried blueberries in the amount equivalent to 0.75 (low), 1.5 (medium), and 3 cups (high) of fresh blueberries per day over a 42-day period. The hypothesis is that the polyphenolics found in blueberries will reduce calcium loss from bones. 
- Detailed Description
- Participants will be dosed with Ca-41, a rare long-lived radioisotope of calcium. After the equilibration of tracer in the body and its deposition in bones (150 days), subjects will be randomized to one of 6 dose sequences, all of which will begin with a 42-day baseline period. During baseline, 24-hour urine will be collected every 14 days. Following baseline, subjects will enter a 42-day intervention period with one of three doses of blueberries equivalent to 0.75 (low), 1.5 (medium), and 3 cups (high) of blueberries per day. Each dose will be provided in the form of freeze-dried blueberry powder incorporated in 2-4 foods or beverages per day. During the intervention, 24-hour urine will be collected weekly for 6 weeks except week 1. After intervention, subjects will enter a 42-day washout period, during which 24-hour urine will be collected every 3 weeks. The entire study duration will be 444 days for subjects who have not been dosed with Ca-41 previously. In a crossover design, all subjects will complete three 42-day intervention periods corresponding to the three doses of blueberries (low, medium, and high), each followed by a 42-day washout period. The dose-response effect of continuous blueberry consumption over a 42-day period on bone resorption in healthy post-menopausal women will be studied by measuring the loss of Ca-41 in urine by Accelerator Mass Spectrometry. 
Recruitment & Eligibility
- Status
- UNKNOWN
- Sex
- Female
- Target Recruitment
- 20
- Female subject is healthy
- Subject is > 4 years past the onset of natural menopause or total hysterectomy
- History of metabolic bone disease or low trauma fractures;
- Subject taking osteoporosis treatment drugs or glucocorticoids within 6 months of the beginning of the study;
- Subjects taking bisphosphonates within 2 years of the beginning of the study;
- History of cancer, thromboembolisms, clotting disorders, uncontrolled hypertension, abnormal thyroid function, malabsorption syndrome, seizure disorders, or heart attack;
- BMI > 35 kg/m2;
- Subjects who will not comply with study interventions ;
- Subjects who will not stop taking natural product supplements of their own selection.
Study & Design
- Study Type
- INTERVENTIONAL
- Study Design
- CROSSOVER
- Primary Outcome Measures
- Name - Time - Method - Ca-41 / Ca ratio in 24-hour urinary excretion to estimate calcium loss from bone - From the beginning of baseline (week 0) to the end of the 3rd washout period (week 42) - Urinary Ca-41 excretion will be expressed as Ca-41/Ca ratio, which is unit-less, and converted to a percent change from the baseline value. 
 24-hour urine will be collected approximately every 2 weeks during baseline (week 0, 2, 4, and 6), weekly (except for week 1) during the low, medium, and high blueberry dose interventions completed in a randomized order (weeks 8-12, 20-24, 32-36) and every 3 weeks during the washout periods (weeks 15, 18, 27, 30, 39, 42). Ca-41/Ca ratios will be measured by Accelerator Mass Spectrometry.
- Secondary Outcome Measures
- Name - Time - Method - Serum biochemical markers of bone metabolism: RANK ligand - Weeks 0, 6, 12, 18, 24, 30, 36, 42 - RANK-L will be expressed in pmol/L and measured by ELISA. 
 Fasting blood will be collected at the start and end of baseline (weeks 0 and 6), at the end of the low, medium, and high dose blueberry interventions (weeks 12, 24, and 36), and at the end of the 3 washout periods (weeks 18, 30, 42).- Fasting blood and urine analysis of blueberry polyphenolic metabolites - Weeks 0, 6, 12, 18, 24, 30, 36, 42 - Polyphenol concentrations in urine and serum will be expressed in molar units and compared against reference values and across the study periods. Polyphenolic metabolites will be measured by LC-MSMS. 
 Fasting blood and urine will be collected at the start and end of baseline (weeks 0 and 6), at the end of the low, medium, and high dose blueberry interventions (weeks 12, 24, and 36), and at the end of the 3 washout periods (weeks 18, 30, 42).- Serum and urine biochemical markers of bone metabolism: calcium concentration - Weeks 0, 6, 12, 18, 24, 30, 36, 42 - Calcium concentration in urine and serum will be expressed in mg/L and measured by Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry. 
 Fasting blood and urine will be collected at the start and end of baseline (weeks 0 and 6), at the end of the low, medium, and high dose blueberry interventions (weeks 12, 24, and 36), and at the end of the 3 washout periods (weeks 18, 30, 42).- Serum biochemical markers of bone metabolism: Insulin Dependent Growth Factor-1 (IGF-1) - Weeks 0, 6, 12, 18, 24, 30, 36, 42 - IGF-1 will be expressed in ng/mL and measured by ELISA. 
 Fasting blood will be collected at the start and end of baseline (weeks 0 and 6), at the end of the low, medium, and high dose blueberry interventions (weeks 12, 24, and 36), and at the end of the 3 washout periods (weeks 18, 30, 42).- Serum biochemical markers of bone metabolism: Osteoprotegrin - Weeks 0, 6, 12, 18, 24, 30, 36, 42 - Osteoprotegerin will be expressed in pmol/L and measured by ELISA. 
 Fasting blood will be collected at the start and end of baseline (weeks 0 and 6), at the end of the low, medium, and high dose blueberry interventions (weeks 12, 24, and 36), and at the end of the 3 washout periods (weeks 18, 30, 42).- Serum biochemical markers of bone metabolism: 25(OH) Vitamin D - Weeks 0, 6, 12, 18, 24, 30, 36, 42 - 25(OH) Vitamin D will be expressed in ng/mL and measured by LC/MS. 
 Fasting blood will be collected at the start and end of baseline (weeks 0 and 6), at the end of the low, medium, and high dose blueberry interventions (weeks 12, 24, and 36), and at the end of the 3 washout periods (weeks 18, 30, 42).- Serum biochemical markers of bone metabolism: Sclerostin - Weeks 0, 6, 12, 18, 24, 30, 36, 42 - Sclerostin will be expressed in ng/mL and measured by ELISA. 
 Fasting blood will be collected at the start and end of baseline (weeks 0 and 6), at the end of the low, medium, and high dose blueberry interventions (weeks 12, 24, and 36), and at the end of the 3 washout periods (weeks 18, 30, 42).- Urine biochemical markers of bone metabolism: N-terminal telopeptide (NTX) - Weeks 0, 6, 12, 18, 24, 30, 36, 42 - NTX will be expressed in ng/mL and measured by ELISA. 
 Fasting urine will be collected at the start and end of baseline (weeks 0 and 6), at the end of the low, medium, and high dose blueberry interventions (weeks 12, 24, and 36), and at the end of the 3 washout periods (weeks 18, 30, 42).- Serum biochemical markers of bone metabolism: procollagen I intact N-terminal (PINP) - Weeks 0, 6, 12, 18, 24, 30, 36, 42 - PINP will be will be expressed in ug/L and measured by ELISA. 
 Fasting blood will be collected at the start and end of baseline (weeks 0 and 6), at the end of the low, medium, and high dose blueberry interventions (weeks 12, 24, and 36), and at the end of the 3 washout periods (weeks 18, 30, 42).
Trial Locations
- Locations (1)
- Department of Nutrition Science Purdue University 🇺🇸- West Lafayette, Indiana, United States Department of Nutrition Science Purdue University🇺🇸West Lafayette, Indiana, United States
