Two-Year Plant-Based Supplement Trial for Inflammaging in Overweight Seniors Terminated Early
A 2-year clinical trial testing Juice Plus+ products against low-grade inflammation and biological aging markers in overweight seniors was terminated before completion.
Summary
Researchers launched a two-year randomized trial to test whether Juice Plus+ Complete and Juice Plus+ Premium — fruit and vegetable concentrate supplements — could reduce low-grade chronic inflammation, improve cardiovascular risk markers, and slow indicators of biological aging in overweight older adults. The trial also tracked cognitive function, micronutrient levels, respiratory and gastrointestinal symptoms, and quality of life. The intervention was notable for being one of the first long-term studies examining plant-based dietary supplements specifically in the context of 'inflammaging' — the chronic low-grade inflammation linked to aging-related disease. Unfortunately, the trial was terminated before completion, leaving key questions about the efficacy of these supplements unanswered. No results have been published from this study.
Detailed Summary
Chronic low-grade inflammation — increasingly termed 'inflammaging' — is recognized as a central driver of age-related conditions including cardiovascular disease, metabolic syndrome, cognitive decline, and accelerated bone loss. Diets rich in fruits and vegetables are known to attenuate this inflammatory state, but whether concentrated plant-based supplements can replicate these effects over years remains poorly understood. This trial was designed to address that gap directly.
The Juice Plus Inflammaging and Cardiovascular Disease Prevention Study (NCT04003935) was a clinical trial sponsored by Green Beat, investigating two commercially available Juice Plus+ products — Complete and Premium — over a 24-month intervention period. The target population was overweight or obese older adults, a group at elevated risk for inflammaging-driven disease. Outcomes included inflammatory biomarkers, cardiovascular disease prevention parameters, circulating micronutrients, quality of life, cognitive function, and biological aging indicators.
The trial was registered in 2019 and was notable for its ambitious scope: multiyear duration, a broad set of aging-relevant endpoints, and a focus on a high-risk demographic. Had it completed, it would have provided some of the first long-duration evidence on whether plant-based supplement regimens can meaningfully modify the trajectory of biological aging.
Unfortunately, the trial was terminated before completion. No results are publicly available, and the reasons for termination are not disclosed in the registry entry. Early termination may reflect recruitment difficulties, funding issues, or other operational challenges — but without data, no conclusions about efficacy or safety can be drawn.
For clinicians and health-conscious individuals, this underscores a persistent evidentiary gap: while whole-food plant diets have strong anti-inflammatory evidence, the translation of these benefits into supplement form over clinically meaningful timeframes remains unproven. Future well-powered, completed trials are needed before plant-concentrate supplements can be recommended for inflammaging prevention.
Key Findings
- Trial was terminated before completion — no efficacy or safety results are available from this study.
- Study targeted inflammaging in overweight seniors, a high-risk population for CVD and cognitive decline.
- Juice Plus+ Complete and Premium were the interventions, tested over a 2-year period.
- Outcomes included inflammatory markers, cardiovascular risk, cognitive function, and biological aging indicators.
- No long-term RCT data yet exists confirming plant-based supplements can replicate whole-food anti-inflammatory benefits.
Methodology
This was a registered clinical trial (NCT04003935) using two plant-based nutritional products (Juice Plus+ Complete and Premium) as interventions over 24 months in overweight or obese older adults. The study measured a broad range of outcomes including inflammatory biomarkers, cardiovascular parameters, cognitive function, and biological aging markers. The trial was terminated prior to completion and no results have been published.
Study Limitations
The trial was terminated before completion, meaning no results, effect sizes, or safety data are available for analysis. This summary is based on the abstract and registry entry only — full protocol details, reasons for termination, and any interim findings are not publicly disclosed. The commercial sponsorship (Green Beat, associated with Juice Plus+) introduces potential conflict-of-interest concerns had the trial been completed.
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