Supplementation with cassis polyphenol has no effect on menopausal symptoms in healthy middle-aged women: A randomized, double-blind, parallel-group, placebo-controlled trial.

Hormonal changes during the menopause transition may lead to vasomotor symptoms, including hot flashes (HFs) and neuropsychiatric symptoms such as anxiety and irritability. We hypothesized that the effects of cassis polyphenol (CaP) to improve microcirculation and vasorelaxation may alleviate menopausal symptoms. We performed a randomized, double-blind, parallel-group, placebo-controlled trial involving 59 healthy women (mean [standard deviation] age, 51.3 [4.3] years; body mass index, 20.8 [2.6] kg/m2). Participants experiencing subjective menopausal symptoms consumed CaP tablets (400 mg/d, CaP group) or placebo tablets (placebo group) for 4 weeks. Participants were evaluated using questionnaires at baseline, during the 4-week intervention period, and during a 2-week postinterventional observation period. The primary objective was to evaluate the effects of supplementation with CaP on HFs in healthy Japanese women with menopausal symptoms. Additional assessments included the modified Kupperman menopausal index, World Health Organization-5 Well-Being Index, World Health Organization quality-of-life 26-item index, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (anxiety and trait components), and Oguri-Shirakawa-Azumi sleep inventory (middle-aged and elderly versions). During the 4-week intervention period, no significant between-group differences were detected in the HF frequency, HF score, sweating frequency, menopausal symptoms, quality of life, anxiety, or sleep. During the 2-week postintervention observational period, the HF score and sweating frequency were significantly decreased in the CaP group compared with the placebo group. These findings suggest that twice daily intake of CaP for 4 weeks does not alleviate menopause symptoms, but the improvement observed in the CaP intake group during the postintervention period warrants confirmation through further large-scale studies.

Concomitant use of tea catechins affects absorption and serum triglyceride-lowering effects of monoglucosyl hesperidin.

The present study investigated whether combined ingestion of green tea catechins (GTC) and monoglucosyl hesperidin (GHES) influences the pharmacokinetic parameters of polyphenols and serum triglycerides (TG). We conducted 2 randomized, controlled trials. Study 1: 8 healthy male subjects participated in a crossover study in which they ingested a test beverage containing GHES (0, 84, 168, or 336 mg GHES) with GTC, or 336 mg GHES without GTC. After ingestion, the pharmacokinetic changes in plasma hesperetin (HEP) and catechins were measured. Study 2: 36 healthy male and female subjects (mean age, 53 ± 2 years; mean BMI, 25.2 ± 0.5 kg m-2) were recruited for a double-blind, placebo-controlled study in which they ingested a test beverage containing 165 mg GHES with 387 mg GTC or a placebo beverage daily for 4 weeks. Fasting serum TG and other lipids and glucose metabolites were analyzed. Study 1 showed that the pharmacokinetics of HEP did not differ significantly between the 336 mg GHES without GTC treatment and the 168 mg GHES with GTC treatment. Study 2 showed that continuous ingestion of 165 mg GHES and 387 mg GTC for 4 weeks significantly decreased fasting serum TG levels compared with baseline values (change in TG, -30 ± 13 mg dl-1, P = 0.040) in the intention-to-treat analysis. In conclusion, our findings suggest that GTC affects the oral bioavailability of GHES, and combined ingestion of low doses of GHES with GTC effectively improves fasting TG levels.

Glucose Response during the Night Is Suppressed by Wheat Albumin in Healthy Participants: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Postprandial blood glucose excursions are important for achieving optimal glycemic control. In normal-weight individuals, glucose tolerance is diminished in the evening compared to glucose tolerance in the morning. Wheat albumin (WA) has the potential to suppress the postprandial glucose response with a relatively small dose, compared to the dose required when using dietary fiber. In the present study, the effect of WA on glycemic control during the night was investigated after a late evening meal. A randomly assigned crossover trial involving a single oral ingestion in healthy male participants was performed in a double-blind placebo-controlled manner. The participants ingested the placebo (PL) tablets or the WA (1.5 g)-containing tablets 3 min before an evening meal at 22:00 hour, and blood samples were drawn during the night until 07:00 hour using an intravenous cannula. The participants slept from 00:30 hour to 06:30 hour. Glucose response, as a primary outcome during the night, was suppressed significantly by the WA treatment compared to the PL treatment, but the insulin response was not. Plasma glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide concentration during the night was lowered significantly by the WA treatment compared to the PL treatment. In conclusion, WA may be a useful food constituent for glycemic control during the night.

Alpha Linolenic Acid-enriched Diacylglycerol Enhances Postprandial Fat Oxidation in Healthy Subjects: A Randomized Double-blind Controlled Trail.

Alpha linolenic acid-enriched diacylglycerol (ALA-DAG) reduces visceral fat area and body fat in rodents and humans compared to conventional triacylglycerol (TAG). Although ALA-DAG increases dietary fat utilization as energy in rodents, its effects in humans are not known. The present study was a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, crossover intervention trial performed to clarify the effect of ALA-DAG on postprandial energy metabolism in humans. Nineteen healthy subjects participated in this study, and postprandial energy metabolism was evaluated using indirect calorimetry followed by 14-d repeated pre-consumption of TAG (rapeseed oil) as a control or ALA-DAG. As a primary outcome, ALA-DAG induced significantly higher postprandial fat oxidation than TAG. As a secondary outcome, carbohydrate oxidation tended to be decreased. In addition, postprandial energy expenditure was significantly increased by ALA-DAG compared to TAG. These findings suggest that daily ALA-DAG consumption stimulates dietary fat utilization as energy after a meal, as well as greater diet induced thermogenesis in healthy humans. In conclusion, repeated consumption of ALA-DAG enhanced postprandial fat metabolism after a meal, which may partially explain its visceral fat area-reducing effect.

Validity and reproducibility of a novel method for time-course evaluation of diet-induced thermogenesis in a respiratory chamber.

We developed a novel method for computing diet-induced thermogenesis (DIT) in a respiratory chamber and evaluated the validity and reproducibility of the method. We hypothesized that DIT may be calculated as the difference between postprandial energy expenditure (EE) and estimated EE (sum of basal metabolic rate and physical activity (PA)-related EE). The estimated EE was derived from the regression equation between EE from respiration and PA intensity in the fasting state. It may be possible to evaluate the time course of DIT using this novel technique. In a validity study, we examined whether DIT became zero (theoretical value) for 6 h of fasting in 11 subjects. The mean value of DIT calculated by the novel and traditional methods was 22.4 ± 13.4 and 3.4 ± 31.8 kcal/6 h, respectively. In the reproducibility study, 15 adult subjects lived in the respiratory chamber for over 24 h on two occasions. The DIT over 15 h of postprandial wake time was calculated. There were no significant differences in the mean values of DIT between the two test days. The within-subject day-to-day coefficient of variation for calculated DIT with the novel and traditional methods was approximately 35% and 25%, respectively. The novel method did not have superior reproducibility compared with that of the traditional method. However when comparing the smaller variation in the fasting state than the theoretical value (zero), the novel method may be better for evaluating interindividual differences in DIT than the traditional method and also has the ability to evaluate the time-course.

Transient energy deficit induced by exercise increases 24-h fat oxidation in young trained men.

Whole body fat oxidation increases during exercise. However, 24-h fat oxidation on a day with exercise often remains similar to that of sedentary day, when energy intake is increased to achieve an energy-balanced condition. The present study aimed to examine a possibility that time of the day when exercise is performed makes differences in 24-h fat oxidation. As a potential mechanism of exercise affecting 24-h fat oxidation, its relation to exercise-induced transient energy deficit was examined. Nine young male endurance athletes underwent three trials of indirect calorimetry using a metabolic chamber, in which they performed a session of 100 min of exercise before breakfast (AM), after lunch (PM), or two sessions of 50 min of exercise before breakfast and after lunch (AM/PM) at 65% of maximal oxygen uptake. Experimental meals were designed to achieve individual energy balance. Twenty-four-hour energy expenditure was similar among the trials, but 24-h fat oxidation was 1,142 ± 97, 809 ± 88, and 608 ± 46 kcal/24 h in descending order of its magnitude for AM, AM/PM, and PM, respectively (P < 0.05). Twenty-four-hour carbohydrate oxidation was 2,558 ± 110, 2,374 ± 114, and 2,062 ± 96 kcal/24 h for PM, AM/PM, and AM, respectively. In spite of energy-balanced condition over 24 h, exercise induced a transient energy deficit, the magnitude of which was negatively correlated with 24-h fat oxidation (r = -0.72, P < 0.01). Similarly, transient carbohydrate deficit after exercise was negatively correlated with 24-h fat oxidation (r = -0.40, P < 0.05). The time of the day when exercise is performed affects 24-h fat oxidation, and the transient energy/carbohydrate deficit after exercise is implied as a factor affecting 24-h fat oxidation.