A recent randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study published in the journal Nutrients has found that daily supplementation with hawthorn fruit may improve skin hydration and reduce wrinkles, potentially offering a natural approach to skin aging.
Study Details
Researchers from Kookmin University in South Korea conducted a six-month intervention study with 36 male and female adults aged 25-75 years. The hawthorn fruit supplementation group (n=17) received 900 mg/day of powdered hawthorn fruit supplement, while the control group (n=19) received a cornstarch placebo at the same dosage.
The study measured facial skin phenotypes including pigmentation, pores, hydration, wrinkles, and elasticity before and after the intervention. Additionally, researchers sequenced telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) polymorphisms (rs7705526 and rs2853669) to analyze genetic impacts on the results.
Key Findings
The hawthorn fruit supplementation group showed significantly improved hydration scores compared to the control group. The mean changes in hydration scores over the 6-month period were +1.71 for the supplementation group versus -3.00 for the control group (p < 0.05), representing a medium effect size (Cohen's d = 0.57).
The genetic analysis revealed even more promising results for specific genetic profiles. The improvement in skin hydration was most pronounced among individuals with the CC genotype of rs7705526 (Cohen's d = 1.50), indicating a large effect. Additionally, the hawthorn supplementation group exhibited reduced wrinkle scores while the control group showed increased scores among carriers of the AA genotype of rs2853669 (Cohen's d = 1.40).
In correlation analysis across all participants, hydration scores were positively correlated with leukocyte telomere length (Spearman correlation coefficient: 0.36; p < 0.05), suggesting a potential connection between skin hydration and this biomarker of aging.
Hawthorn's Anti-Aging Potential
Hawthorn (Crataegus spp.) has been used traditionally across Europe, North Africa, North America, and Asia. C. pinnatifida, the species used in this study, is predominantly cultivated in Asia and has a history of traditional medicinal use for conditions including indigestion, hernia, and blood stasis.
This fruit contains significant bioactive compounds, including high levels of polyphenolic compounds with more than 50 flavonoids. The total phenolic content ranges from 2 to 249 mg/g, and total flavonoid content can reach up to 147 mg/g.
Previous in vitro and in vivo studies have shown that hawthorn polyphenol extract can increase cell viability in UV-irradiated skin cells while decreasing the production of reactive oxidative species and the expression of matrix metalloproteinase, which is involved in collagen degradation and wrinkle formation.
Potential Mechanisms
The researchers speculate that carriers of specific TERT gene variants might experience upregulation of TERT expression through hawthorn supplementation. TERT plays a role in antioxidant defense mechanisms in addition to its function in telomere length extension.
It has been suggested that TERT and telomerase can be modulated by external factors related to skin aging as well as by dietary components or nutraceutical compounds, especially those in herbs with antioxidant properties such as polyphenols, flavonoids, and organic acids.
Study Limitations and Future Directions
The authors acknowledge limitations including the small sample size, the use of leukocyte telomere length as a surrogate for skin telomere length, and limited generalizability of the findings. However, they note that the randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled design strengthens the validity of their results.
The researchers conclude that "hawthorn supplementation may help improve skin aging" and suggest that personalized functional foods based on genetic profiling might optimize health benefits. However, they caution that "more data regarding the genotype-specific effects are warranted to apply a recommendation of personalized functional foods."
Additional Health Benefits of Hawthorn
This study adds to the growing body of evidence supporting hawthorn's potential health benefits. The GreenMedInfo database documents 80 additional health benefits of hawthorn, showcasing its versatility as a medicinal herb beyond skin health. These benefits span cardiovascular health, anti-inflammatory properties, and more, making hawthorn a promising natural supplement for various health concerns.
Reference
Kim, Minju, and Inkyung Baik. "Effects of Hawthorn Fruit Supplementation on Facial Skin Phenotypes and Leukocyte Telomere Length Stratified by TERT Polymorphisms." Nutrients 17, no. 12 (2025): 1983. https://doi.org/10.3390/
No hay comentarios:
Publicar un comentario