Effects of sea buckthorn and bilberry on serum metabolites differ according to baseline metabolic profiles in overweight women: a randomized crossover trial

Background: Berries are associated with health benefits. Little is known about the effect of baseline metabolome on the overall metabolic responses to berry intake. Objective: We studied the effects of berries on serum metabolome. Design: Eighty overweight women completed this randomized crossover study. During the interventions of 30 d, subjects consumed dried sea buckthorn berries (SBs), sea buckthorn oil (SBo), sea buckthorn phenolics ethanol extract mixed with maltodextrin (SBe+MD) (1:1), or frozen bilberries. Metabolic profiles were quantified from serum samples by using H nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Results: All interventions induced a significant (P < 0.001-0.003) effect on the overall metabolic profiles. The effect was observed both in participants who had a metabolic profile that rejected higher cardiometabolic risk at baseline (group B: P = 0.001-0.008) and in participants who had a lower-risk profile (group A: P