The Sourdough School

Baking eating and sharing bread to improve physical and mental health

Using a robust evidence-based baking protocol combining the evidence of thousands of years of baking with modern clinical insights, we offer comprehensive training to bakers and healthcare professionals, providing students with the tools to use baking in everyday practice as a wellness intervention.
Follow on Instagram

Soil Association
Our gardens are certified organic.

Baking as Lifestyle Medicine for Bakers and Clinicians

+44(0)7707 480336
[email protected]
Follow on Instagram
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Student Login

Navigation
  • Home
    • Login
  • About us
    • The School
    • Contact Us & FAQ
    • The Team
    • Contributors & Guest Tutors
    • General FAQ’s about The School
    • Be the Change
  • Admissions
    • Courses
    • Course Q&A’s
    • Graduation Week in Tuscany
    • Educational Awards Programme
    • Enrolment
    • Reviews
    • Student Welfare
    • Policies & Compliance
  • The Certificate
    • The Certificate
    • Teaching
    • Teacher Training
  • The Diploma
    • The Diploma
    • Licence to Prescribe BALM
  • BALM
    • Baking as Lifestyle Medicine
    • What is BALM?
    • BALM & Bread in The Blue Zone
    • Case Studies Library
    • BALM Podcasts
  • Shop
    • Books
    • Equipment
    • Ingredients

452 - ‘Açaí (Euterpe oleracea Mart.) and juçara (Euterpe edulis Mart.) juices improved HDL-c levels and antioxidant defense of healthy adults in a 4-week randomized cross-over study’. Clinical Nutrition. 39: 3629-3636

Reference Number: 452

Year: 2020

Authors: Sheyla de Liz, Alyne Lizane Cardoso, Candice Laís Kn€oner Copetti, Patrícia de Fragas Hinnig, Francilene Gracieli Kunradi Vieira, Edson Luiz da Silva, Mayara Schulz, Roseane Fett, Gustavo Amadeu Micke, Patricia Faria Di Pietro

Link: Link to original paper

Health: Cardiometabolic diseases | Gut Microbiome - Creating Healthier Bread to Support Optimal Gut Health | Inflammation | Lower Inflammation

Nutrition: Antioxidants | Polyphenols | Prebiotic

Summary

Objective: To evaluate the effects of moderate-term açaí and juçara juice intake on fasting glucose, lipid profile, and oxidative stress biomarkers in healthy subjects.

Methods: A randomized cross-over study was performed with 30 healthy adults. The subjects were assigned to drink 200 mL/day of açaí or juçara juice for four weeks with a 4-week washout period. Before and after each nutritional intervention, blood samples were obtained to evaluate the outcomes: fasting glucose, total cholesterol, triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-c), low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-c), small, dense LDL-c (sd-LDL-c), total antioxidant capacity (TAC), total oxidant status (TOS), oxidative stress index (OSI), uric acid, and activity of the enzymes superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and glutathione peroxidase (GPx).

Results: After four weeks, açaí and juçara juices increased the concentrations of HDL-c by 7.7% and 11.4%, respectively (P < 0.05). In addition, açaí juice intake promoted significant increases in TAC (66.7%), CAT (275.1%), GPx (15.3%), and a decrease in OSI (55.7%) compared to baseline (P < 0.05 for all). Juçara juice intake significantly increased CAT activity (~15.0%) in relation to baseline. No significant intergroup differences were observed for any outcomes (P > 0.05).

Conclusion: The results indicated a positive impact of regular consumption of açaí and juçara juices on the HDL-c levels, as well as on the antioxidant enzyme activities, which may contribute to cardiovascular health.

Significance of this study to the baker:

The Acacia berry is added to our Botanical Blends to boost diversity yet also because of its deep purple colour, it is rich in polyphenols. Health benefits are suggested, including modulation of cholesterol as found in this particular small human trial.

Acai Berries are the fruit of a species of palm tree called the Acai Palm (Euterpe oleracea) native to south America and mainly growing in swamps and floodplains. Here the berry has been a staple food since around the 18th century. Since the mid 1990s however, this fruit became particularly popular as a health food across the globe.

Qualify in Baking as Lifestyle Medicine

All reasonable care is taken when writing about health aspects of bread, but the information it contains is not intended to take the place of treatment by a qualified medical practitioner. You must seek professional advice if you are in any doubt about any medical condition. Any application of the ideas and information contained on this website is at the reader's sole discretion and risk.

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Email Sign Up

Terms and Conditions | Privacy Policy
Copyright © 2023 Vanessa Kimbell
Call +44 (0)1604 881274 | Email [email protected]
Registered in England & Wales: 08412236
Website by Callia Web