The effects of fruit vegetable concentrate upon oxidative stress and buffering capacity in vivo

Western diets are high in protein and insufficient in fruit and vegetable consumption. This can result in low-grade acidosis, which is linked with various metabolic diseases and can also impact exercise performance. Supplementing with fruit vegetable concentrate (FVC) could potentially attenuate the effects of low-grade acidosis and provide protection against the effects of oxidative stress due to the high antioxidant potential within these nutritional supplements.The first study investigated the dose response of acute FVC supplementation upon blood acid-base levels during resting conditions. Eight physically active males (age: 23 ± 2 yr; height 180.1 ± 6.2 cm; weight 76.9 ± 7.2 Kg) consumed either a manufacturer recommended dose (9 g) of energised greens (FVC), an equal dose placebo (PLC), or a known acid-base regulator (NaHCO₃) in a single blind, randomised crossover design. Capillary blood samples were taken every 15 minutes to measure changes in blood pH, bicarbonate (HCO₃-) and base-excess (BE). A visual analogue scale (VAS) was used to analyse potential changes in gastrointestinal discomfort. Blood pH rose in all trials but was only significantly elevated in the NaHCO3 trial (P0.05). BE significantly increased during the NaHCO₃ trial (P0.05) however, were significantly different between pre-ingestion and post-exercise concentrations (P