Polyphenols exert anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. We investigated the effect of consumption of polyphenol-rich figs on high sensitivity C-reactive protein (CRP) and antioxidant levels in hyperlipidemic subjects. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of fig consumption on C-reactive protein and antioxidant levels. Analyses were carried out on collected data from September to December of 2008. Using a crossover design, one hundred and two participants were recruited and randomized into an intervention phase (eating figs) and a control phase (not eating figs) for 5 weeks. Blood samples were drawn from each group at the 4th and 5th week of each phase, centrifuged and frozen. Frozen samples were sent to the University of California Davis Clinical Laboratories for CRP analysis. Antioxidant analysis was done on frozen samples in the Nutrition Laboratory at Loma Linda University via a test and retest method for accuracy using the ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) and total antioxidant capacity (ABTS) tests. Data was analyzed using SPSS for paired t-test analysis for CRP,
antioxidant tests and dietary recalls. Mean CRP values did not differ significantly in the intervention phase when compared to control phase (median [interquartile range] 1[0.5, 2.1] mg/L versus 1 [0.6, 2.1]; p=0.31). The FRAP test results did not differ between study phases (0.1+ 0.1 mmol versus 0.1+ 0.1 mmol; p = 0.96). The ABTS test concentrations likewise did not differ between the two phases (0.2+ 0.04 mmol versus 0.2+ 0.04 mmol; p= 0.97). An analysis of dietary intake showed participants consumed approximately 187 calories more in the intervention phase (pO.OOOl) while consuming 4% less calories from fat (pO.OOOl). For men and women with elevated cholesterol levels, fig consumption did not lower CRP or affect antioxidant levels. While overall intake of iron, magnesium, potassium and copper increased significantly, fat and protein intake decreased slightly despite higher caloric intake.
","abstract_html":"<p>Polyphenols exert anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. We investigated the effect of consumption of polyphenol-rich figs on high sensitivity C-reactive protein (CRP) and antioxidant levels in hyperlipidemic subjects. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of fig consumption on C-reactive protein and antioxidant levels. Analyses were carried out on collected data from September to December of 2008. Using a crossover design, one hundred and two participants were recruited and randomized into an intervention phase (eating figs) and a control phase (not eating figs) for 5 weeks. Blood samples were drawn from each group at the 4th and 5th week of each phase, centrifuged and frozen. Frozen samples were sent to the University of California Davis Clinical Laboratories for CRP analysis. Antioxidant analysis was done on frozen samples in the Nutrition Laboratory at Loma Linda University via a test and retest method for accuracy using the ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) and total antioxidant capacity (ABTS) tests. Data was analyzed using SPSS for paired t-test analysis for CRP,</p> <p>antioxidant tests and dietary recalls. Mean CRP values did not differ significantly in the intervention phase when compared to control phase (median [interquartile range] 1[0.5, 2.1] mg/L versus 1 [0.6, 2.1]; p=0.31). The FRAP test results did not differ between study phases (0.1+ 0.1 mmol versus 0.1+ 0.1 mmol; p = 0.96). The ABTS test concentrations likewise did not differ between the two phases (0.2+ 0.04 mmol versus 0.2+ 0.04 mmol; p= 0.97). An analysis of dietary intake showed participants consumed approximately 187 calories more in the intervention phase (pO.OOOl) while consuming 4% less calories from fat (pO.OOOl). For men and women with elevated cholesterol levels, fig consumption did not lower CRP or affect antioxidant levels. While overall intake of iron, magnesium, potassium and copper increased significantly, fat and protein intake decreased slightly despite higher caloric intake.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Abdrabou, Rasha"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Doctor of Public Health (DrPH)","degree_level":"Dissertation","degree_discipline":null,"degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Serena Tonstad","Susanne Montgomery","Ella Haddad"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2009,"date_issued":"2009-08-01T07:00:00Z","date_published":"2009-08-01T07:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:52:59Z","subjects":["Preventive Medicine","Public Health","Ficus -- enzymology; Functional Food; Nutritive Value; Nutritional Status; Antioxidants -- metabolism.; Antioxidants -- therapeutic use; C-Reactive Protein; Biological Markers"],"languages":["English"],"rights":["This title appears here courtesy of the author, who has granted Loma Linda University a limited, non-exclusive right to make this publication available to the public. The author retains all other copyrights."],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://scholarsrepository.llu.edu/etd/623","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Serena Tonstad","Susanne Montgomery","Ella Haddad"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Abdrabou, Rasha"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Dissertation"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Doctor of Public Health (DrPH)"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Preventive Medicine","Public Health","Ficus -- enzymology; Functional Food; Nutritive Value; Nutritional Status; Antioxidants -- metabolism.; Antioxidants -- therapeutic use; C-Reactive Protein; Biological Markers"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language","label":"Dc Language","values":["English"]},{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["This title appears here courtesy of the author, who has granted Loma Linda University a limited, non-exclusive right to make this publication available to the public. The author retains all other copyrights."]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://scholarsrepository.llu.edu/etd/623"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["Polyphenols exert anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. We investigated the effect of consumption of polyphenol-rich figs on high sensitivity C-reactive protein (CRP) and antioxidant levels in hyperlipidemic subjects. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of fig consumption on C-reactive protein and antioxidant levels. Analyses were carried out on collected data from September to December of 2008. Using a crossover design, one hundred and two participants were recruited and randomized into an intervention phase (eating figs) and a control phase (not eating figs) for 5 weeks. Blood samples were drawn from each group at the 4th and 5th week of each phase, centrifuged and frozen. Frozen samples were sent to the University of California Davis Clinical Laboratories for CRP analysis. Antioxidant analysis was done on frozen samples in the Nutrition Laboratory at Loma Linda University via a test and retest method for accuracy using the ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) and total antioxidant capacity (ABTS) tests. Data was analyzed using SPSS for paired t-test analysis for CRP,
antioxidant tests and dietary recalls. Mean CRP values did not differ significantly in the intervention phase when compared to control phase (median [interquartile range] 1[0.5, 2.1] mg/L versus 1 [0.6, 2.1]; p=0.31). The FRAP test results did not differ between study phases (0.1+ 0.1 mmol versus 0.1+ 0.1 mmol; p = 0.96). The ABTS test concentrations likewise did not differ between the two phases (0.2+ 0.04 mmol versus 0.2+ 0.04 mmol; p= 0.97). An analysis of dietary intake showed participants consumed approximately 187 calories more in the intervention phase (pO.OOOl) while consuming 4% less calories from fat (pO.OOOl). For men and women with elevated cholesterol levels, fig consumption did not lower CRP or affect antioxidant levels. While overall intake of iron, magnesium, potassium and copper increased significantly, fat and protein intake decreased slightly despite higher caloric intake.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Effect of California mission fig consumption on levels of c-reactive protein and antioxidant levels"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Serena Tonstad","Susanne Montgomery","Ella Haddad"],"dc:creator":["Abdrabou, Rasha"],"dc:description.abstract":["Polyphenols exert anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. We investigated the effect of consumption of polyphenol-rich figs on high sensitivity C-reactive protein (CRP) and antioxidant levels in hyperlipidemic subjects. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of fig consumption on C-reactive protein and antioxidant levels. Analyses were carried out on collected data from September to December of 2008. Using a crossover design, one hundred and two participants were recruited and randomized into an intervention phase (eating figs) and a control phase (not eating figs) for 5 weeks. Blood samples were drawn from each group at the 4th and 5th week of each phase, centrifuged and frozen. Frozen samples were sent to the University of California Davis Clinical Laboratories for CRP analysis. Antioxidant analysis was done on frozen samples in the Nutrition Laboratory at Loma Linda University via a test and retest method for accuracy using the ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) and total antioxidant capacity (ABTS) tests. Data was analyzed using SPSS for paired t-test analysis for CRP,
antioxidant tests and dietary recalls. Mean CRP values did not differ significantly in the intervention phase when compared to control phase (median [interquartile range] 1[0.5, 2.1] mg/L versus 1 [0.6, 2.1]; p=0.31). The FRAP test results did not differ between study phases (0.1+ 0.1 mmol versus 0.1+ 0.1 mmol; p = 0.96). The ABTS test concentrations likewise did not differ between the two phases (0.2+ 0.04 mmol versus 0.2+ 0.04 mmol; p= 0.97). An analysis of dietary intake showed participants consumed approximately 187 calories more in the intervention phase (pO.OOOl) while consuming 4% less calories from fat (pO.OOOl). For men and women with elevated cholesterol levels, fig consumption did not lower CRP or affect antioxidant levels. While overall intake of iron, magnesium, potassium and copper increased significantly, fat and protein intake decreased slightly despite higher caloric intake.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://scholarsrepository.llu.edu/etd/623"],"dc:language":["English"],"dc:rights":["This title appears here courtesy of the author, who has granted Loma Linda University a limited, non-exclusive right to make this publication available to the public. The author retains all other copyrights."],"dc:subject":["Preventive Medicine","Public Health","Ficus -- enzymology; Functional Food; Nutritive Value; Nutritional Status; Antioxidants -- metabolism.; Antioxidants -- therapeutic use; C-Reactive Protein; Biological Markers"],"dc:title":["Effect of California mission fig consumption on levels of c-reactive protein and antioxidant levels"],"thesis:degree_level":["Dissertation"],"thesis:degree_name":["Doctor of Public Health (DrPH)"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:52:59Z"}