A Randomized Controlled Trial Evaluating the Effects of Functional Date Bars Enriched With Magnesium, Vitamin C, and Grape Seed Extract on Perceived Stress and Salivary Cortisol in Healthy Young Women
A Randomized Controlled Trial Evaluating the Effects of Functional Date Bars Enriched With Magnesium, Vitamin C, and Grape Seed Extract on Perceived Stress and Salivary Cortisol in Healthy Young Women
This randomized controlled trial aims to evaluate the effect of a 4-week daily consumption of a functional date bar enriched with magnesium, vitamin C, and grape seed extract on perceived stress and salivary cortisol levels in healthy young women. Participants will be randomly assigned to either an intervention group receiving the enriched bar or a control group receiving a placebo bar identical in appearance and taste. Primary outcomes include changes in salivary cortisol levels and perceived stress (PSS-14).
Chronic psychological stress is a risk factor for depression, anxiety, eating disorders, and various metabolic disorders. Dietary components, including magnesium, vitamin C, and polyphenols (grape seed extract), have the potential to modulate the stress response through their effects on the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and the antioxidant status of consumers. However, data on the effects of complex nutritional interventions in healthy young women are limited: most studies have focused on the use of dietary supplements in their pure form, without their inclusion in food matrices. At the same time, the use of complete, multi-component functional foods offers advantages in the form of an improved consumer experience (a date bar has more appealing organoleptic characteristics compared to vitamin and mineral premixes and tablets, and consumption of the bar does not require additional preparation, such as dissolution in water). The development and study of the clinical properties of functional foods is relevant for the emerging personalized nutrition market.
This study investigates the effects of a functional food product (date-based bar enriched with magnesium, vitamin C, and grape seed extract) compared to a placebo bar over a 4-week period in healthy women aged 18-28 years.
Inclusion Criteria:
Exclusion Criteria: