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Perioperative supplementation with a fruit and vegetable juice powder concentrate and postsurgical morbidity: a double-blind, randomised, placebo controlled clinical trial

Perioperative supplementation with a fruit and vegetable juice powder concentrate and postsurgical morbidity: a double-blind, randomised, placebo controlled clinical trial Thumbnail


Abstract

Aims
Surgical trauma leads to an inflammatory response that causes surgical morbidity. Reduced antioxidant micronutrient (AM)a levels and/or excessive levels of Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS)b have previously been linked to delayed wound healing and presence of chronic wounds. We aimed to evaluate the effect of pre-operative supplementation with encapsulated fruit and vegetable juice powder concentrate (JuicePlus+®) on postoperative morbidity and Quality of Life (QoL)c.

Methods
We conducted a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled two-arm parallel clinical trial evaluating postoperative morbidity following lower third molar surgery. Patients aged between 18 and 65 years were randomised to take verum or placebo for 10 weeks prior to surgery and during the first postoperative week. The primary endpoint was the between-group difference in QoL over the first postoperative week, with secondary endpoints being related to other measures of postoperative morbidity (pain and trismus).

Results
One-hundred and eighty-three out of 238 randomised patients received surgery (Intention-To-Treat population). Postoperative QoL tended to be higher in the active compared to the placebo group (p=0.059). Furthermore, reduction in mouth opening 2 days after surgery was 3.1 mm smaller (p=0.042), the mean pain score over the postoperative week was 9.4 mm lower (p=0.007) and patients were less likely to experience moderate to severe pain on postoperative day 2 (RR 0.58, p=0.030), comparing verum to placebo groups.

Conclusion
Pre-operative supplementation with a fruit and vegetable supplement rich in AM may improve postoperative QoL and reduce surgical morbidity and post-operative complications after surgery.

Acceptance Date Aug 1, 2017
Publication Date Oct 1, 2018
Publicly Available Date Mar 29, 2024
Journal Clinical Nutrition
Print ISSN 0261-5614
Publisher Elsevier
Pages 1448-1455
DOI https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clnu.2017.08.004
Keywords third molar surgery, postoperative morbidity, wound healing, pain, antioxidant micronutrients, reactive oxygen species, oxidative stress
Publisher URL http://doi.org/10.1016/j.clnu.2017.08.004

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