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The assessment of improvement or maintenance of joint health in healthy subjects is a great challenge. The aim of the study was the evaluation of a joint stress test to assess joint discomfort in subjects with activity-related knee joint discomfort (ArJD). Forty-five subjects were recruited to perform the single-leg-step-down (SLSD) test (15 subjects per group). Subjects with ArJD of the knee (age 22-62 years) were compared to healthy subjects (age 24-59 years) with no knee joint discomfort during daily life sporting activity and to subjects with mild-to-moderate osteoarthritis of the knee joint (OA, Kellgren score 2-3, age 42-64 years). The results suggest the SLSD test is a reliable tool for the assessment of knee joint health function in ArJD and OA subjects to study the improvements in their activities. Further, this model can be used as a stress model in intervention studies to study the impact of stress on knee joint health function.

Self-rated health (SRH) is one of the most frequently used indicators in health and social research. We used data from three independent European population samples (N approx. 15,000) to investigate the associations of SRH with 150 biomolecules in blood or urine (biomarkers). Altogether 57 biomarkers representing different organ systems were associated with SRH. We propose three potential pathways through which biomarkers may be incorporated into an individual's subjective health assessment. Finally our findings indicate that SRH has a solid biological basis and it is a valid but non-specific indicator of the biological condition of the human organism.

Maintaining healthy blood pressure is fundamental in order to avoid disorders to the heart and blood vessels. In prevention, and alongside pharmacological therapy, the use of natural substances is extremely helpful for pre- and mild hypertensive subjects. Our study was therefore focused on the effects, both in vitro and in humans, of a grape seed extract, Enovita (GSEe), a highly standardized extract in polyphenols of Vitis vinifera L. The in vitro cells model was chosen to explore the extract properties related to vascular inflammation/vasodilation. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical study in healthy volunteers was further performed to investigate GSEe benefits. GSEe resulted in a benefit of modulating endothelial functionality and blood pressure with an overall positive modulation on mood related to stress perception.

Skin health, skin appearance and skin beauty are influenced by collagen composition of the dermis. Natural aging affects the structural integrity of the collagen network. Not only collagen peptides, but also micronutrients can beneficially affect skin appearance. Aim of this study was to investigate the effect of a food supplement with collagen hydrolysate and micronutrients on skin beauty. The test product was assessed for its capability to reduce wrinkles and to improve skin hydration and collagen structure.

In a randomized, double blind cross over study, we compared the area under the curve (AUC), Cmax, and Tmax of plasma (6S)-5-Methyl-THF after intakes of (6S)-5-Methyl-THF-Na salt (Arcofolin®) and folic acid. In conclusion, a single oral dose of (6S)-5-Methyl-THF-Na caused higher AUC 0-8 h and Cmax of plasma (6S)-5-Methyl-THF compared to folic acid. The Na- and Ca- salts of (6S)-5-Methyl-THF are not likely to differ in their pharmacokinetics.

Nutraceuticals containing hydroxytyrosol have been shown to exert a wide range of beneficial effects on the cardiovascular system like lipid modification and cholesterol reduction. The aim of this randomised double-blind, placebo-controlled parallel study was to investigate the effects of a pure, synthetic form of hydroxytyrosol (HTEssence®) on the lipid profile in subjects with elevated LDL-cholesterol level.