Effects of Beer and Lettuce (Lactuca Sativa) Consumption on Antioxidant Status in Healthy Volunteers: A Small-Scale Crossover Trial

Beer and wine are the most consumed ethanol-containing beverages worldwide and their impact on human health has been largely studied. A small-scale double-blind crossover trial was performed in order to evaluate the effects of simultaneous consumption of alcoholic/non-alcoholic beer and lettuce on plasma antioxidant status. 15 volunteers were divided into 4 groups and venous blood samples were collected at various delays from the ingestion of meal. The latter consisted of 500 ml beverage (alcoholic beer, non-alcoholic beer, non-alcoholic beer with added alcohol and water) and 100 g of fresh salad with 10 g of olive oil. Results showed that total antioxidant status was significantly different between the alcoholic and non- alcoholic intake. Most of the antioxidant molecules such as carotenoids, vitamin A, E, and C were not altered by meal consumption. Beer phenolic compounds are not the same in alcoholic and non-alcoholic beer in terms of content, thus corresponding to different ingested doses and bioavailability. Lettuce phenolic compounds are bioavailable, even if the association between beer and lettuce did not imply a higher effect on antioxidant status. In conclusion, our results showed a plausible influence of the different production process on bioactive compounds content in beer and the influence of food matrix on their bioavailability.