We investigated in vitro and in vivo effects of seaweed extract on carbohydrate digestion and availability. In the in vitro study inhibition α-glucosidase and α-amylase activity was measured. In the in vivo study, postprandial blood glucose after a breakfast containing 50g of digestible 25 carbohydrates was measured in participants (N= 10,> 40 years, obese) who were given 0 mg, 800 mg and 1600 mg seaweed extract before breakfast in a randomized order during three study days. The extract inhibited α-amylase and α-glucosidase activity …

Reducing energy density (ED) of the diet is an important strategy for controlling obesity. This 1-year, randomized clinical trial examined the effect of substituting mushrooms for red meat ('mushroom diet'), compared to a standard diet ('meat diet'), on weight loss and maintenance among 73 obese adults (64 women, 9 men). The subjects completed anthropometric measurements and 7-day food records four times during a standardized weight loss and maintenance regimen. At the end of the 1-year trial, compared to participants on the …

Obesity has been reported to impair immune functions and lead to low-grade long-term inflammation; however, studies that have investigated the impact of weight loss on these among the young and slightly obese are limited. Thus, we investigated the effect of a 12-week weight management program with behavioral modifications on cell-mediated immune functions and inflammatory responses in young obese participants. Our hypothesis was that weight loss would result in improved immune functions and decreased inflammatory …

Branched chain amino acids (BCAA), with vitamin B6 have been reported to improve fat metabolism and muscle synthesis. We hypothesized that supplementation with BCAA and vitamin B6 would result in more weight loss and improve body composition and blood markers related to cardiovascular diseases. Our aim was to determine whether the mentioned supplementation would affect weight loss, body composition, and cardiovascular risk factors during weight loss intervention. To this end, we performed a placebo-controlled …

Obesity has been linked with low levels of ω-3 fatty acids. Generally, intervention studies have failed to establish benefits of supplementation with ω-3PUFA in reducing body weight or fat mass in humans. The aim of this study was to investigate whether supplementation with LCω-3PUFA alone, then consumed concomitantly with a very low energy diet (VLED), facilitated weight loss, improvements in blood lipids and positive changes to inflammatory mediators. This was a double blind randomised controlled trial with two parallel groups. For …

Objective The metabolic effects of an aloe vera gel complex (Aloe QDM complex) on people with prediabetes or early diabetes mellitus (DM) are unknown. The goal of this study was to determine the effects of Aloe QDM complex on body weight, body fat mass (BFM), fasting blood glucose (FBG), fasting serum insulin, and Homeostasis Model of Assessment-Insulin Resistance (HOMA-IR) in obese individuals with prediabetes or early DM who were not on diabetes medications. Methods Participants (n= 136) were randomly assigned to an …

The aim of the study was to evaluate the effects of long-term green tea extract (GTE) supplementation on white blood cells (WBC) in CrossFit-trained and untrained men. Twenty-eight men were recruited for this study including CrossFit-trained (CF-TR) and untrained (CF-UNT) men. The study was carried out in two phases. Phase 1 involved non-supplemented untrained and trained men. Phase 2 involved the same groups but after 6-week supplementation with 2 GTE capsules once daily. Body weight, body composition and the …

We examined the impact of consuming biscuits with a beverage of powdered mulberry or barley leaves in the afternoon on postprandial glucose levels at dinnertime among young adults. A total of 18 young adults participated in a partially double-blinded, randomized crossover trial over 2 weeks, consuming either:(1) no biscuits;(2) a biscuit;(3) a biscuit with a beverage of powdered mulberry leaves; or (4) a biscuit with a beverage of powdered barley leaves, as an afternoon snack followed by a standardized test dinner. Glucose levels were …

Background: Visceral fat accumulation due to the decrease in estrogen levels, and gaining weight after menopause, increases the risk of metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular diseases in postmenopausal women; while physical activity at maximum fat oxidation …

The clinical study reported here was conducted in order to analyze the anti-obesity effect of the steamed root of Rehmannia glutinosa Libosch (Shu Dihuang), a Chinese herbal medicine widely used for the treatment of metabolic diseases. To understand the mechanism (s) underlying the beneficial effects of R. glutinosa, we investigated the changes in gut microbiota after herbal intervention through 16S rRNA gene-based pyrosequencing analyses. Twelve female middle-aged subjects (40–65 years old) with body mass index …