Consuming Diet Supplemented with Either Red Wheat Bran or Soy Extract Changes Glucose and Insulin Levels in Female Obese Zucker Rats.

Type 2 diabetes mellitus is characterized by the inability to regulate blood glucose levels due to insulin resistance, resulting in hyperglycemia and hyperinsulinemia. Research has shown that consuming soy and fiber may protect against type 2 diabetes mellitus. We performed a study to determine whether supplementing diet with soy extract (0.5% weight of diet) or fiber (as red wheat bran; 11.4% weight of diet) would decrease serum insulin and blood glucose levels in a pre-diabetic/metabolic syndrome animal model. In our study, female obese Zucker rats were fed either a control diet (n = 8) or control diet supplemented with either soy extract (n = 7) or red wheat bran (n = 8) for seven weeks. Compared to rats consuming control diet, rats fed treatment diets had significantly lower (p-value < 0.05) fasting serum insulin (control = 19.34±1.6; soy extract = 11.1±1.54; red wheat bran = 12.4±1.11) and homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance values (control = 2.16±0.22; soy extract = 1.22±0.21; red wheat bran = 1.54±0.16). Non-fasted blood glucose was also significantly lower (p-value < 0.05) in rats fed treatment diets compared to rats consuming control diet at weeks four (control = 102.63±5.67; soy extract = 80.14±2.13; red wheat bran = 82.63±3.16), six (control = 129.5±10.83; soy extract = 89.14±2.48; red wheat bran = 98.13±3.54), and seven (control = 122.25±8.95; soy extract = 89.14±4.52; red wheat bran = 84.75±4.15). Daily intake of soy extract and red wheat bran may protect against type 2 diabetes mellitus by maintaining normal glucose homeostasis.

Echinacea-Based Dietary Supplement Does Not Increase Maximal Aerobic Capacity in Endurance-Trained Men and Women.

PURPOSE: To determine if an echinacea-based dietary supplement (EBS) provided at two different doses (a regular dose (RD), 8,000 mg/day, vs. a double dose (DD), 16,000 mg/day) would increase erythropoietin (EPO) and other blood markers involved in improving aerobic capacity and maximal oxygen consumption (VO2max) in endurance-trained men. Secondly, to determine if any sex differences exist between male and female endurance-trained athletes. METHODS: Forty-five endurance athletes completed three visits during a 35-day intervention. Participants were randomized into placebo (PLA; n = 8 men, n = 7 women), RD of EBS (n = 7 men, n = 8 women), or DD of EBS (n = 15 men) for the 35-day intervention period. At baseline, weight, body composition, and VO2max were measured. Blood was drawn to measure EPO, ferritin, red blood cells, white blood cells, hemoglobin, and hematocrit. At the mid-intervention visit, blood was collected. At the post-intervention visit, all measurements from the baseline visit were obtained once again. RESULTS: There was a significant increase in VO2max for endurance-trained men in PLA (increase of 2.8 ± 1.5 ml kg(-1) min(-1), p = .01) and RD of EBS (increase of 2.6 ± 1.8 ml kg(-1) min(-1), p = .04), but not in DD of EBS (p = .96). Importantly, there was no difference in the change in VO2max between PLA and RD of EBS. For endurance-trained women, VO2max did not change in either treatment (PLA: -0.7 ± 1.7 ml kg(-1) min(-1), p = .31; RD of EBS: -0.2 ± 2.4 ml kg(-1) min(-1), p = .80). There were no significant changes in any blood parameter across visits for any treatment group. CONCLUSIONS: This EBS should not be recommended as a means to improve performance in endurance athletes.