Scientific Information/Data
Bergamot
Bergamot is a type of citrus fruit primarily grown in the southern
Italian region known as Calabria. It has been used traditionally
to benefit a wide variety of human health functions particularly
cardiovascular health. Essential oil of the bergamot peel is used widely
in the food and cosmetic industries, whereas the juice flavonoids have
been suggested to be the components responsible for benefitting
cardiovascular health.*
BergaCor™ Plus features Bergamot Polyphenolic Fraction Gold®
(BPFG®), a concentrated bergamot juice extract containing a unique
combination of naturally occurring polyphenolic components that
exhibit antioxidant activity. These protective flavonoids include
neoeriocitrin, naringin, neohesperidin, melitidin, and brutieridin, each
of which influences a slightly different and distinctive molecular
pathway.*
Amla
Amla, or Indian gooseberry, is a bright yellow-green fruit that comes
from the Phyllanthus emblica tree. In the ayurvedic tradition, amla is
considered a rasayana, meaning it is used as a rejuvenator to achieve
homeostasis and build vitality. Native to India, P emblica also grows
in tropical and subtropical regions throughout Asia and the Middle
East. The polyphenol-rich berries are traditionally used in applications
related to supporting the body’s natural defense system.*
Mechanism of Action
The mechanisms proposed to be responsible for the beneficial
cardioprotective effects of bergamot include the maintenance of
healthy lipid and blood glucose levels and the support of normal
resistance to oxidative stress.*[1,2]
Reviews of the mechanism of action and influence of bergamot juice
extract on lipid and sugar metabolism at the molecular level suggest
that naringin and neohesperidin initiate the release of adenosine
monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK), a central regulator
of glucose and fatty acid metabolism. Neoeriocitrin is proposed to
inhibit phosphodiesterases (PDEs), which are involved in the regulation
of energy metabolism and lipolysis through the cyclic adenosine
monophosphate (cAMP) molecular pathway. It is also submitted
that brutieridin and melitidin act as direct hydroxymethylglutaryl
coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase inhibitors involved in deterring
excess cholesterol synthesis in the liver. Bergamot flavonoids have
also been found to inhibit quinone oxidoreductase 2 (QR2), an enzyme
implicated in catalyzing oxidation-reduction reactions involving
xenobiotic (foreign) and biogenic (produced in the body) substrates.
Preliminary data suggests that QR2 enzyme activity contributes to
the effects observed in lipid and glucose metabolism. Although the
individual polyphenolic compounds in bergamot juice extract appear to
exert specific effects, the authors propose that the synergistic effects
from collectively influencing multiple molecular pathways are what
ultimately benefit cardiovascular health.*[1,3]
Phytochemical studies on amla indicate that the primary biologically
effective constituents in amla berries are gallic acid, ellagic acid,
emblicanin A and B, phyllembein, quercetin, and ascorbic acid—all
of which exhibit antioxidant activity. Providing balance between
pro-oxidant (generation of free radicals) and antioxidant (quenching/
scavenging of free radicals) homeostasis has been suggested to
be the mechanism for how amla supports general health. Although
used historically for a wide variety of applications, amla is favorably
regarded in traditional medicine and validated in modern scientific
literature for its role in supporting endothelial function, the body’s
response to oxidative stress, lipid and blood glucose modulation, and
the management of healthy hsCRP levels—all of which contribute to
cardiovascular health maintenance.*[4-8]
Cardiovascular and Blood Sugar Support
Numerous clinical trials have suggested that bergamot juice extract
functions via metabolic pathways in the liver to maintain healthy
cholesterol levels and support healthy blood glucose metabolism.[9,10]
There is a limited amount of data that has assessed the use of supplemental bergamot juice extract in generally healthy subjects; however, there are studies in athletes. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study evaluated the effect of BPFG on cardiovascular parameters and exercise performance in male cyclists (n = 30) utilizing 650 mg of BPFG twice per day for four weeks. Significant differences were observed between pre-and post-intervention baseline endothelial NO (nitric oxide) levels, suggesting that BPFG plays a role in cardiovascular adaptive mechanisms by way of a vasoprotective response.*[11]
Like bergamot juice extract, amla has been studied extensively for its role
in supporting cardiovascular health with much of the research utilizing
subjects with pre-existing conditions. However, emerging science
in healthy subjects has recently contributed to the body of evidence
supporting amla. A study in healthy volunteers (n = 12) evaluated the
effect of 500 mg/day of Capros®, an amla extract, on mental stressinduced changes to cardiovascular parameters. A statistically significant decrease in aortic augmentation pressure (from 6.6±2.15 to 4.6±2.02 [P < 0.01]) and in augmentation index (AIx)(from 120.1±12.80 to 116.2±12.63 [P < 0.05]) suggested that amla would be beneficial for arterial health and thus support cardiovascular wellness.*[12]
Another study (n = 12) evaluated the effect of Capros on cardiovascular
parameters following the administration of cold pressor tests (CPT) in
healthy human volunteers. The CPT test is known to affect cardiovascular
parameters in human subjects and is based on a short-term stimulation
via immersion of the hand into ice-cold water. Study subjects were
administered 250 mg twice daily and showed significant improvement
over baseline and placebo.*[13]
Follow-up trials are needed to solidify clinical use of bergamot juice
extract and amla for cardiovascular wellness and blood sugar support
and to further validate their use in healthy populations.*
References
1. Janda E, Lascala A, Martino C, et al. PharmaNutrition. 2016
Oct;4(suppl):S8-S18. doi:10.1016/j.phanu.2016.05.001.
2. Testai L, Calderone V. Nutrients. 2017 May 16:9(5):502. doi:10.3390/
nu9050502.
3. Walker R, Janda E, Mollace V. In: Watson RR et al, eds. Polyphenols in Human
Health and Disease. Elsevier Inc; 2014;chap 84. doi:10.1016/B978-0-12-
398456-2.00084-0.
4. Grover HS, Deswal H, Singh Y, et al. J Oral Res Rev. 2015;7:65-8.
doi:10.4103/2249-4987.172498.
5. Hashem-Dabaghian F, Ziaee M, Ghaffari S, et al. J Cardiovasc Thorac Res.
2018;10(3):118-128. doi:10.15171/jcvtr.2018.20.
6. Yadav SS, Singh MK, Singh PK, et al. Biomed Pharmacother. 2017 Sep;93:1292-
1302. doi:10.1016/j.biopha.2017.07.065.
7. Dasaroju S, Gottumukkala KM. Int J Pharm Sci Rev Res. 2014;24(2):150-159.
8. Variya BC, Bakrania AK, Patel SS. Pharmacol Res. 2016 Sep;111:180-200.
doi:10.1016/j.phrs.2016.06.013.
9. Mannucci C, Navarra M, Calapai F, et al. Phytother Res. 2017 Jan;31(1):27-39.
doi:10.1002/ptr.5734.
10. Lamiquiz-Moneo I, Giné-González J, Alisente S, et al. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr.
2019 Oct 31:1-11. doi:10.1080/10408398.2019.1677554.
11. Mollace R, Gliozzi M, Tavernese A, et al. J Sports Med Ther. 2018;3(2):053-061.
doi:10.29328/journal.jsmt.1001027.
12. Usharani P, Sudharani E, Kirankishore K, et al. Int J Pharm Sci Rev Res.
2017;8(10):4138-4146. doi:10.13040/IJPSR.0975-8232.8(10).4138-46.
13. Fatima N, Pingali U, Pilli R. Pharmacognosy Res. 2014 Jan;6(1):29-35.
doi:10.4103/0974-8490.122914.
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
Reviews
There are no reviews yet.