Safflower seed extract and artery stiffness in people
What it found
In a 12-week trial, safflower seed extract improved one measure of blood vessel aging in people with high-normal blood pressure or mild hypertension, but did not change other artery stiffness measures.
The authors say it may help arterial stiffness.
What they found
Studies in people
Vascular age
Vascular age estimated by SDPTG aging index improved in the safflower seed extract group compared with the placebo group at 4 weeks and remained lower at 12 weeks.
Augmentation index
The safflower seed extract group showed a trend toward a reduction in augmentation index at 12 weeks compared with baseline, but there was no significant difference between groups.
baPWV
No reduction in brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity was observed with safflower seed extract supplementation.
Blood pressure
There were no significant differences in systolic or diastolic blood pressure between the safflower seed extract and placebo groups.
Oxidative stress markers
The safflower seed extract group showed a trend toward a lower malondialdehyde-modified-LDL autoantibody titer at 12 weeks from baseline, but no significant changes in oxidized LDL or other oxidative stress markers were observed.
Blood lipids
Significant variations in LDL cholesterol at 12 weeks from baseline were observed in the safflower seed extract group, but no significant changes in other biochemical parameters were seen in either group.
What the authors conclude
“These results suggest long-term ingestion of SSE in humans could help to improve arterial stiffness.”
Also in their conclusions
- They suggest that long-term ingestion of safflower seed extract in humans could help to improve arterial stiffness.
- They state that safflower seed extract ameliorates arterial stiffness and therefore may have the potential to decrease cardiovascular risk.
- They note that safflower seed extract supplementation for 12 weeks did not have any severe adverse health effects and suggest it may be safe for daily use as a dietary supplement over a long time period.
How it was done
Safflower seed extract contains polyphenols and serotonin derivatives that have been reported to inhibit LDL oxidation, reduce atherosclerotic plaques, and improve arterial stiffness in animal models. The authors wanted to test whether long-term supplementation helps arterial stiffness in people.
They ran a 12-week double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 77 men aged 35 to 65 and 15 postmenopausal women aged 55 to 65 with high-normal blood pressure or mild hypertension. Participants took either safflower seed extract (70 mg per day of serotonin derivatives) or a placebo for 12 weeks, and pulse wave measurements were done at the start and at weeks 4, 8, and 12.
What it can’t tell you
- The trial lasted only 12 weeks, so it cannot show whether safflower seed extract affects arterial stiffness or cardiovascular risk over longer periods.
- The study included only men aged 35 to 65 and postmenopausal women aged 55 to 65 with high-normal blood pressure or mild hypertension, so the results may not apply to other groups.
- The authors could not analyze smoking status or fully evaluate whether other lipid-lowering diets influenced the results.
Who paid
- Authors work at
- Research Institute for Health Fundamentals, Kawasaki
The paper
- Title
- Effects of safflower seed extract on arterial stiffness
- Type
- Clinical trial
- Evidence
- Studies in people
- Summarised from
- Full text
- Cite
- Suzuki K, Tsubaki S, Fujita M, Koyama N, Takahashi M, Takazawa K (2010). Effects of safflower seed extract on arterial stiffness. Vascular health and risk management. doi:10.2147/VHRM.S13998Free full textPubMed 21127697DOI
Summary written 26 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error