GLUCOMANNAN
Konjac-mannan (glucomannan) improves glycemia and other associated risk factors for coronary heart disease in type 2 diabetes. A randomized controlled metabolic trial.
OBJECTIVE: To examine whether Konjac-mannan (KJM) fiber improves metabolic control as measured by glycemia, lipidemia, and blood pressure in high-risk type 2 diabetic patients. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: A total of 11 hyperlipidemic and hypertensive type 2 diabetic patients treated conventionally by a low-fat diet and drug therapy participated. After an 8-week baseline, all were randomly assigned to take either KJM fiber-enriched test biscuits (0.7 g/412 kJ [100 kcal] of glucomannan) or matched placebo wheat bran fiber biscuits during two 3-week treatment phases separated by a 2-week washout period. The diet in either case was metabolically controlled and conformed to National Cholesterol Education Program Step 2 guidelines, while medications were maintained constant. Efficacy measures included serum fructosamine, lipid profiles, apolipoproteins, blood pressure, body weight, and nutritional analysis. RESULTS: Compared with placebo, KJM significantly reduced the metabolic control primary end points: serum fructosamine (5.7%, P = 0.007, adjusted alpha = 0.0167), total:HDL cholesterol ratio (10%, P = 0.03, adjusted alpha = 0.05), and systolic blood pressure (sBP) (6.9%, P = 0.02, adjusted alpha = 0.025). Secondary end points, including body weight, total, LDL, and HDL cholesterol, triglycerides, apolipoproteins A-1, B, and their ratio, glucose, insulin, and diastolic blood pressure, were not significant after adjustment by the Bonferroni-Hochberg procedure. CONCLUSIONS: KJM fiber added to conventional treatment may ameliorate glycemic control, blood lipid profile, and sBP in high-risk diabetic individuals, possibly improving the effectiveness of conventional treatment in type 2 diabetes
Vuksan V, Jenkins DJ, Spadafora P, Sievenpiper JL, Owen R, Vidgen E, Brighenti F, Josse R, Leiter LA, Bruce-Thompson C.
Department of Nutritional Sciences, St. Michael's Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. v.vuksan@utoronto.ca
YERBA MATE
New research recently published in the research journal OBESITY has proven for the first time that a natural plant extract, yerba maté, has potent anti-obesity effects reports dietpillsthatwork.co.uk
The research examined the effect of extracts of yerba mate; a plant indigenous to South America, on obese mice fed on high fat diets and concluded that the yerba maté extracts had potent anti-obesity activity.
The research demonstrated that in adipose tissue in obese mice given the extracts, the expression of several genes related to obesity returned to normal levels. Additionally high blood cholesterol and glucose levels in the extract treated mice were reduced.
This suggests the compounds found in yerba maté extract may act synergistically to suppress body weight gain, visceral fat accumulation, and decrease the serum levels of cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL, cholesterol and glucose.
Professor Anthony Leeds, a leading obesity researcher of the University of Copenhagen said 'the recent research clearly shows that compounds occurring in yerba maté extract (Ilex paraguarensis) attenuated weight gain in mice on a high fat diet and improved abnormal blood lipid profiles.
"Yerba maté treatment acted on adipose tissue to down-regulate several genes (including leptin the 'eating hormone', and cytokines) and upregulated those for adiponectin and thermogenesis, giving clues as to the mechanism for the weight loss"
Membership of the Board of HEART UK
Dr Anthony Leeds, MB BS MSc CBiol FIBiol RNutr
Professional Representative |
