Micronutrient status of individuals with overweight and obesity following 3 months' supplementation with PolyGlycopleX (PGX®) or psyllium: a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Safe and effective weight control strategies are needed to curtail the current obesity epidemic worldwide. Increasing dietary fibre has shown positive results with weight loss as well as in the reduction of metabolic syndrome risk factors. However, fibre can act as an inhibitor to the bioavailability of micronutrients in the gastrointestinal tract. While there is a substantial amount of scientific research into psyllium fibre, PolyGlycopleX (PGX®) is a novel fibre and as yet the effects of PGX® on micronutrient status is not well researched. AIM: To determine whether 3-months' supplementation with 15 g of psyllium or PGX® fibre daily affects micronutrient status of overweight and obese adults. METHODS: Overweight and obese individuals with a BMI between 25-40 kg/m2 and aged between 18 and 65 years, but otherwise healthy, were instructed to consume a 5 g sachet of psyllium, PGX® fibre or a rice flour placebo three times a day for 52 weeks as part of a larger long-term study. Blood sample data for the first 3 months were analysed for associations between serum micronutrient levels and psyllium fibre and/or PGX® supplements. RESULTS: No significant differences between fibre supplement groups and micronutrient status were found after 3 months at p > 0.05. Dietary intake of vitamin C was significantly lower for PGX® at 3 months compared to baseline and compared to control (p < 0.05). Folate was significantly lower in the control group after 3 months (p < 0.05). In the psyllium group, folate, sodium, zinc and magnesium intake decreased after 3 months (p < 0.05). A limitation of dietary intake data (tertiary measure) is the potential for inaccurate self-reporting, although reduced nutrient intake could be due to the satiating effect of dietary fibre. CONCLUSIONS: There were no significant between group differences in serum micronutrient concentrations after a 3-month psyllium fibre or PGX® supplementation intervention of 15 g per day. Fibre supplementation is unlikely to compromise the nutritional status of overweight and obese individuals in the short term. Further research is recommended to monitor micronutrient status over a longer period or with a higher fibre dosage.

Overweight & obese Australian adults and micronutrient deficiency.

BACKGROUND: Micronutrients have been implicated as an important factor in regulating various metabolic processes and thus playing a role in the aetiology of obesity. Many studies have been conducted worldwide that clearly show a direct link between obesity and micronutrient deficiencies. The aim of this study was to assess the nutritional status of overweight and obese Australian adults to see if there were any associations between BMI and serum micronutrient levels. METHODS: Baseline serum micronutrient data of overweight and obese individuals with a body mass index (BMI) between 25 and 40 kg/m2 and aged between 18 and 65 years was compared to the clinical micronutrient reference ranges for associations between BMI and micronutrient status. RESULTS: There were significant negative associations between BMI and serum vitamin D (p = 0.044), folate (p = 0.025), magnesium (p = 0.010) and potassium (p = 0.023). CONCLUSIONS: Overweight and obesity appears to impact on the bioavailability and utilisation of micronutrients with absorption, excretion, storage/distribution (fat sequestering, tissue dispersion), metabolism (catabolic losses, possibly oxidative), increased physiologic requirements, and lower absolute total dietary intake being the current theory for observed differences. While vitamins D, folate, magnesium and potassium showed a negative relationship to BMI, other micronutrients did not. This may be explained by the fortification of certain processed foods, or the possibility of overweight and obese people eating more to satisfy their nutritional requirements.

Effects of daily consumption of psyllium, oat bran and polyGlycopleX on obesity-related disease risk factors: A critical review.

The persistent obesity crisis, with its increased risk for the metabolic syndrome (MetS), type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease (CVD), continues to damage the health of populations globally, including children. Diets rich in the fiber provided by fruit and vegetables support good metabolic health, although few adults and children achieve the recommended daily target. Daily fiber supplementation, particularly with soluble fiber products, such as psyllium, oat bran, or a newer product such as PolyGlycopleX, may provide a convenient solution. Literature searches were conducted to identify original research articles, systematic reviews, and meta-analyses with the search terms psyllium, oat bran, PolyGlycopleX, and PGX, AND adults and children AND overweight, obesity, and metabolic syndrome. Data source was Embase and PubMed from 1980 to 2017. The results show that the addition of a soluble fiber product, most notably psyllium, improves blood lipid profiles, particularly total and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, as well as glycemic response, and increases satiety, and by thus improving MetS and CVD risk factors, may augment the processes initiated by weight reduction diets. Although less studied than psyllium, the available evidence has shown that ß-glucan present in oat bran has a beneficial effect on MetS and CVD risk factors, particularly blood lipids and glycemia. Early research has found PolyGlycopleX to provide similar benefits to other soluble fiber products, and suggest it may also assist with weight loss. This critical review demonstrates that soluble fiber supplements used as an adjunct to dietary and lifestyle modifications may assist with the treatment of CVD and MetS risk factors. More research is needed to further clarify the benefits of PolyGlycopleX in particular, as well as to develop safe and efficacious recommendations for fiber supplementation of all types for children in general.

Obesity, mental health, and sexual dysfunction: A critical review.

Obesity has profound medical, psychological, and emotional consequences and is associated with sexual difficulties. Little is known regarding the interrelationship between obesity and sexual functioning from a psychological perspective, and less is known regarding treatment options. This review examines these issues and considers various treatments. Literature searches were conducted to locate original research, reviews, systematic reviews, and meta-analyses of obesity, overweight, sexual function, sexual dysfunction, psychological health, mental health, and weight loss. Research demonstrates an association between obesity, mental health, and sexual functioning, but has failed to identify casual pathways between these conditions. Clarifying such pathways is necessary to inform treatment guidelines for clinical practice.

Social media for health promotion and weight management: a critical debate.

BACKGROUND: In 2016 an estimated 1.9 billion adults world-wide were either overweight or obese. The health consequences of obesity are responsible for 2.8 million preventable deaths per year. The WHO now considers obesity as a global epidemic and recommends population-wide health promotion strategies to address this issue. Weight gain is caused by increased energy intake and physical inactivity, so treatment should focus on changes to behaviour regarding diet and physical activity. DISCUSSION: The WHO has also recognised the importance of social resources as a valuable agent for behaviour change in health promotion. Social resources are translated at the community level as support provided by significant others such as family, partners and peers, in the form of information, material aid and encouragement. Social support has been shown to improve health and well-being, whereas social isolation has been shown to have a negative impact on health outcomes. Social support provided by peers has been shown to be a useful strategy to employ in weight management programmes. The documented increased use of ICT and social media has presented health promoters with a potentially useful medium to increase social support for weight management. CONCLUSION: While the use of social media for health promotion is an emerging field of investigation, preliminary research suggests that it increases participant engagement, and may provide a cost-effective tool to provide social support for individuals participating in weight management programmes. With stringent privacy protocols in place, social media may be a useful, cost-effective accompaniment to multifactorial weight management programmes. However more research is needed to identify how to make the best use of social media as health promotion tool.

Psychological effects of belonging to a Facebook weight management group in overweight and obese adults: Results of a randomised controlled trial.

This study was conducted to test whether the weight outcomes in an online social networking group were mediated by changes to psychological outcome measures in overweight and obese individuals, following a weight management programme delivered via Facebook. The data analysed in this study were collected during a three-armed, randomised, controlled clinical weight management trial conducted with overweight and obese adults over 24 weeks. Two intervention groups were given the same weight management programme: one within a Facebook group, along with peer support from other group members (the Facebook Group); the other group received the same programme in a pamphlet (the Pamphlet Group). A Control Group was given standard care. The primary outcome was weight; secondary outcomes included the following domains from self-reported questionnaires: energy intake and expenditure; psychological health, social relationships, physical health, quality of life, depression, anxiety, stress, health anxiety, happiness, as well as Facebook Group participants' opinion of this group. The Facebook Group experienced a reduction in their baseline weight measurement by week 24, significantly compared to the Control Group (p = .016). The Facebook Group recorded a significant increase in the psychological health domain during the trial (at week 12) relative to their baseline measurement, and significant compared to the Control Group (p = .022). Mediation analysis indicated a statistical trend, but not statistical significance, for psychological health as a mediator to weight loss in the Facebook Group. While both intervention groups showed significant changes in psychological outcome measures, the Facebook Group was the only group to experience statistically significant weight loss by the end of the 24 weeks. Therefore, an examination of other psychological and/or behavioural outcome measures undertaken in larger studies in the future may help to identify significant mediators to improved weight loss outcomes in online social networking groups.

Effects of a weight management program delivered by social media on weight and metabolic syndrome risk factors in overweight and obese adults: A randomised controlled trial.

INTRODUCTION: The aim of this project was to evaluate the effectiveness of using social media to augment the delivery of, and provide support for, a weight management program delivered to overweight and obese individuals during a twenty four week intervention. METHODS: Participants randomly divided into either one of two intervention groups or a control group. The two intervention groups were instructed to follow identical weight-management program. One group received the program within a Facebook group, along with a support network with the group, and the other intervention group received the same program in a booklet. The control group was given standard care. Participants' weight and other metabolic syndrome risk factors were measured at baseline and at weeks 6, 12, 18 and 24. RESULTS: The Facebook Group reported a 4.8% reduction in initial weight, significant compared to the CG only (p = 0.01), as well as numerically greater improvements in body mass index, waist circumference, fat mass, lean mass, and energy intake compared to the Pamphlet Group and the Control Group. CONCLUSIONS: These results demonstrate the potential of social media to assist overweight and obese individuals with respect to dietary and physical activity modifications for weight management, and justify further research into the inclusion of social media in clinical weight management programs. It is anticipated that social media will provide an invaluable resource for health professionals, as a low maintenance vehicle for communicating with patients, as well as a source of social support and information sharing for individuals undergoing lifestyle modifications.

Effect on Insulin, Glucose and Lipids in Overweight/Obese Australian Adults of 12 Months Consumption of Two Different Fibre Supplements in a Randomised Trial.

Higher fibre intakes are associated with risk reduction for chronic diseases. This study investigated the effects of supplementation with PolyGlycopleX® (PGX), a complexed polysaccharide, on insulin, glucose and lipids in overweight and obese individuals. In this double-blind 12 months study, participants were randomised into three groups: control (rice flour); PGX or psyllium (PSY). Participants followed their usual lifestyle and diet but consumed 5 g of their supplement before meals. Insulin was significantly lower in the PGX and PSY groups compared to control at 3 and 6 months and in the PSY group compared to control at 12 months. Serum glucose was significantly lower in the PGX group at 3 months compared to control. Total cholesterol was significantly lower in the PGX and PSY groups compared to control at 3 and 6 months. High density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol was significantly increased in the PGX group compared to control at 12 months. low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol was significantly lower in the PGX group at 3 and 6 months compared to control and in the PSY group at 3 months compared to control. A simple strategy of fibre supplementation may offer an effective solution to glucose, insulin and lipid management without the need for other nutrient modification.

Effect on body weight and composition in overweight/obese Australian adults over 12 months consumption of two different types of fibre supplementation in a randomized trial.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Higher fibre intakes are associated with risk reduction for chronic diseases. However, many people find difficulty in consuming sufficient fibre through their diet. Supplements may be an effective alternative. We aimed to investigate the effects of PolyGlycopleX® (PGX®), a proprietary polysaccharide complex and a proprietary Psyllium product (PgxSyl™) (PSY) on diet, body weight and composition in overweight and obese individuals. SUBJECTS/METHODS: This was a double-blind 52 weeks study with 159 people randomized to 3 groups: control (rice flour); PGX (PGX) and proprietary psyllium (PSY). Participants did not change any of their usual habits or diet except they consumed 5 g of supplement taken with a total of 500 ml of water 5-10 min before meals. RESULTS: Weight was significantly lower in the PGX group compared to control at 3 (-1.6 kg [0.57, 2.67, p = 0.003]), 6 (-2.6 kg [1.01, 4.13, p = 0.001]) and 12 months (-2.6 kg [0.59, 4.64, p = 0.012]) and in the PSY group compared to control group at 3 (-1.1 kg [0.07, 2.12, p = 0.037]) and 6 months (-2.4 kg [0.95, 3.93, p = 0.002]). This was a difference of - 2.8% for the PGX group and - 1.5% for the PSY group compared to control after 12 months supplementation. Body Fat was significantly lower in PGX compared to control at 6 (-1.8 kg [0.63, 2.95, p = 0.003]) and 12 months (-1.9 kg [0.43, 3.36, p = 0.012]) and in PSY compared to control at 6 (-1.9 kg [0.84, 3.04, p = 0.001]) and 12 months (-1.4 kg [0.08, 2.71, p = 0.038]). CONCLUSIONS: PGX was better than PSY at maintaining dietary changes and weight loss over the 12 month intervention period, with no change to exercise. A simple strategy of PGX supplementation may offer an effective solution to long-term weight-loss and then management without the need for other nutrient modification. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ANZCTR: ACTRN12611000415909. Registered 20 April 2011.

Predicting Physical Activity-Related Outcomes in Overweight and Obese Adults: A Health Action Process Approach.

BACKGROUND: We tested the adequacy of a model based on the Health Action Process Approach (HAPA) in predicting changes in psychological, body composition, and cardiovascular risk outcomes with respect to physical activity participation in overweight and obese adults. METHODS: Measures of HAPA constructs (action and maintenance self-efficacy, outcome expectancies, action planning, risk perceptions, intentions, behaviour), psychological outcomes (quality of life, depression, anxiety, stress symptoms), body composition variables (body weight, body fat mass), cardiovascular risk measures (total cholesterol, low density lipoprotein), and self-reported physical activity behaviour were administered to participants (N = 74) at baseline, and 6 and 12 weeks later. RESULTS: Data were analysed using variance-based structural equation modelling with residualised change scores for HAPA variables. The model revealed effects of action self-efficacy and outcome expectancies on physical activity intentions, action self-efficacy on maintenance self-efficacy, and maintenance self-efficacy and intentions on action planning. Intention predicted psychological and body composition outcomes indirectly through physical activity behaviour. Action planning was a direct predictor of psychological, cardiovascular, and body composition outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: Data supported HAPA hypotheses in relation to intentions and behaviour, but not the role of action planning as a mediator of the intention-behaviour relationship. Action planning predicted outcomes independent of intentions and behaviour.

Milk Intolerance, Beta-Casein and Lactose.

True lactose intolerance (symptoms stemming from lactose malabsorption) is less common than is widely perceived, and should be viewed as just one potential cause of cows' milk intolerance. There is increasing evidence that A1 beta-casein, a protein produced by a major proportion of European-origin cattle but not purebred Asian or African cattle, is also associated with cows' milk intolerance. In humans, digestion of bovine A1 beta-casein, but not the alternative A2 beta-casein, releases beta-casomorphin-7, which activates µ-opioid receptors expressed throughout the gastrointestinal tract and body. Studies in rodents show that milk containing A1 beta-casein significantly increases gastrointestinal transit time, production of dipeptidyl peptidase-4 and the inflammatory marker myeloperoxidase compared with milk containing A2 beta-casein. Co-administration of the opioid receptor antagonist naloxone blocks the myeloperoxidase and gastrointestinal motility effects, indicating opioid signaling pathway involvement. In humans, a double-blind, randomized cross-over study showed that participants consuming A1 beta-casein type cows' milk experienced statistically significantly higher Bristol stool values compared with those receiving A2 beta-casein milk. Additionally, a statistically significant positive association between abdominal pain and stool consistency was observed when participants consumed the A1 but not the A2 diet. Further studies of the role of A1 beta-casein in milk intolerance are needed.

Using new technologies to promote weight management: a randomised controlled trial study protocol.

BACKGROUND: Over the last three decades, overweight and obesity and the associated health consequences have become global public health priorities. Methods that have been tried to address this problem have not had the desired impact, suggesting that other approaches need to be considered. One of the lessons learned throughout these attempts is that permanent weight loss requires sustained dietary and lifestyle changes, yet adherence to weight management programs has often been noted as one of the biggest challenges. This trial aims to address this issue by examining whether social media, as a potential health promotion tool, will improve adherence to a weight management program. To test the effectiveness of this measure, the designated program will be delivered via the popular social networking site Facebook, and compared to a standard delivery method that provides exactly the same content but which is communicated through a pamphlet. The trial will be conducted over a period of twelve weeks, with a twelve week follow-up. Although weight loss is expected, this study will specifically investigate the effectiveness of social media as a program delivery method. The program utilised will be one that has already been proven to achieve weight loss, namely The CSIRO Total Wellbeing Diet. METHODS/DESIGN: This project will be conducted as a 3-arm randomised controlled trial. One hundred and twenty participants will be recruited from the Perth community, and will be randomly assigned to one of the following three groups: the Facebook group, the pamphlet group, or a control group. The Facebook Group will receive the weight management program delivered via a closed group in Facebook, the Pamphlet Group will be given the same weight management program presented in a booklet, and the Control Group will follow the Australian Dietary Guidelines and the National Physical Activity Guidelines for Adults as usual care. Change in weight, body composition and waist circumference will be initial indicators of adherence to the program. Secondary outcome measures will be blood glucose, insulin, blood pressure, arterial stiffness, physical activity, eating behaviour, mental well-being (stress, anxiety, and depression), social support, self-control, self-efficacy, Facebook activity, and program evaluation. DISCUSSION: It is expected that this trial will support the use of social media - a source of social support and information sharing - as a delivery method for weight management programs, enhancing the reduction in weight expected from dietary and physical activity changes. Facebook is a popular, easy to access and cost-effective online platform that can be used to assist the formation of social groups, and could be translated into health promotion practice relatively easily. It is anticipated in the context of the predicted findings that social media will provide an invaluable resource for health professionals and patients alike. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Register (ANZCTR): ACTRN12614000536662. Date registered: 21 May 2014.

Effect of training on the reliability of satiety evaluation and use of trained panellists to determine the satiety effect of dietary fibre: a randomised controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: The assessment of satiety effects on foods is commonly performed by untrained volunteers marking their perceived hunger or fullness on line scales, marked with pre-set descriptors. The lack of reproducibility of satiety measurement using this approach however results in the tool being unable to distinguish between foods that have small, but possibly important, differences in their satiety effects. An alternate approach is used in sensory evaluation; panellists can be trained in the correct use of the assessment line-scale and brought to consensus on the meanings of descriptors used for food quality attributes to improve the panel reliability. The effect of training on the reliability of a satiety panel has not previously been reported. METHOD: In a randomised controlled parallel intervention, the effect of training in the correct use of a satiety labelled magnitude scale (LMS) was assessed versus no-training. The test-retest precision and reliability of two hour postprandial satiety evaluation after consumption of a standard breakfast was compared. The trained panel then compared the satiety effect of two breakfast meals containing either a viscous or a non-viscous dietary fibre in a crossover trial. RESULTS: A subgroup of the 23 panellists (n = 5) improved their test re-test precision after training. Panel satiety area under the curve, "after the training" intervention was significantly different to "before training" (p < 0.001). Reliability of the panel determined by intraclass correlation (ICC) of test and retest showed improved strength of the correlation from 0.70 pre-intervention to 0.95 post intervention. The trained "satiety expert panel" determined that a standard breakfast with 5g of viscous fibre gave significantly higher satiety than with 5g non-viscous fibre (area under curve (AUC) of 478.2, 334.4 respectively) (p ≤ 0.002). CONCLUSION: Training reduced between panellist variability. The improved strength of test-retest ICC as a result of the training intervention suggests that training satiety panellists can improve the discriminating power of satiety evaluation.

Weight-loss intervention using implementation intentions and mental imagery: a randomised control trial study protocol.

BACKGROUND: Overweight and obesity are major health problems worldwide. This protocol describes the HEALTHI (Healthy Eating and Active LifesTyle Health Intervention) Program, a 12-week randomised-controlled weight-loss intervention that adopts two theory-based intervention techniques, mental imagery and implementation intentions, a behaviour-change technique based on planning that have been shown to be effective in promoting health-behaviour change in previous research. The effectiveness of goal-reminder text messages to augment intervention effects will also be tested. The trial will determine the effects of a brief, low cost, theory-based weight-loss intervention to improve dietary intake and physical activity behaviour and facilitate weight-loss in overweight and obese individuals. METHODS/DESIGN: Overweight or obese participants will be randomly allocated to one of three conditions: (1) a psycho-education plus an implementation intentions and mental imagery condition; (2) a psycho-education plus an implementation intentions and mental imagery condition with text messages; or (3) a psycho-education control condition. The intervention will be delivered via video presentation to increase the intervention's applicability in multiple contexts and keep costs low. We hypothesise that the intervention conditions will lead to statistically-significant changes in the primary and secondary outcome variables measured at 6 and 12 weeks post-intervention relative to the psycho-education control condition after controlling for baseline values. The primary outcome variable will be body weight and secondary outcome variables will be biomedical (body mass, body fat percentage, muscle mass, waist-hip circumference ratio, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, low-density lipoprotein, high-density lipoprotein, total cholesterol, triglycerides, blood glucose and insulin levels), psychological (quality of life, motivation, risk perception, outcome expectancy, intention, action self-efficacy, maintenance self-efficacy, goal setting and planning), and behavioural (self-reported diet intake, and physical activity involvement) measures. We also expect the intervention condition augmented with text messages to lead to statistically significant differences in the primary and secondary outcome variables at the follow up periods after controlling for baseline values. DISCUSSION: The planned trial will test the effectiveness of the theory-based HEALTHI program intervention to reduce weight and salient psychological, biomedical, and behavioural outcomes in overweight and obese adults. The study has been designed to maximise applicability to real world settings and could be integrated into existing weight management practices. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ACTRN: ACTRN12613001274763. Registration date 19/11/2013.

Potential benefits of exercise on blood pressure and vascular function.

Physical activity seems to enhance cardiovascular fitness during the course of the lifecycle, improve blood pressure, and is associated with decreased prevalence of hypertension and coronary heart disease. It may also delay or prevent age-related increases in arterial stiffness. It is unclear if specific exercise types (aerobic, resistance, or combination) have a better effect on blood pressure and vascular function. This review was written based on previous original articles, systematic reviews, and meta-analyses indexed on PubMed from years 1975 to 2012 to identify studies on different types of exercise and the associations or effects on blood pressure and vascular function. In summary, aerobic exercise (30 to 40 minutes of training at 60% to 85% of predicted maximal heart rate, most days of the week) appears to significantly improve blood pressure and reduce augmentation index. Resistance training (three to four sets of eight to 12 repetitions at 10 repetition maximum, 3 days a week) appears to significantly improve blood pressure, whereas combination exercise training (15 minutes of aerobic and 15 minutes of resistance, 5 days a week) is beneficial to vascular function, but at a lower scale. Aerobic exercise seems to better benefit blood pressure and vascular function.

Association of arterial stiffness with obesity in Australian women: a pilot study.

This study investigated the arterial stiffness status in overweight/obese Australian women compared with their lean counterparts. Twenty-six Caucasian women were designated into one of two groups: overweight/obese (body mass index [BMI] 25-34.9 kg/m2 [ n=12]) and lean (BMI 18.5-24.9 kg/m2 [n=14]) groups. Participants were assessed for clinical, anthropometric, metabolic, and augmentation index (AIx) measurements. Age was similar between groups (P=.482). BMI was significantly higher in overweight/obese compared with lean participants (30.26±1.09 vs 21.62±0.52 kg/m2, P=.001) as well as the percentage of body fat (40.60±2.43 vs 21.57±1.13, P=.001), waist circumference (91.47±2.77 vs 70.67±1.60, P=.001), and waist/hip ratio (0.81±0.04 vs 0.71±0.03, P=.036). Overweight/obese group showed higher total cholesterol, triglyceride, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and fasting glucose levels compared with the lean group (all P<.05). Both systolic (122.92±3.18 mm Hg vs 108.14±2.42 mm Hg, P=.001) and diastolic (83.58±2.43 mm Hg vs 72.43±1.29 mm Hg, P=.0001) blood pressures, as well as AIx (50.08±4.7 vs 120.79±2.17, P=.001) were significantly higher in the overweight/obese group compared with the lean group. AIx was positively associated with measurements of body composition (P<.05), triglycerides (r=0.361, P=.035) and glucose levels (r=0.371, P=.031), and systolic and diastolic blood pressure (r=0.793 and r=0.718, respectively; P=.0001). This data suggests that arterial stiffness is associated with obesity, along with other metabolic abnormalities in Australian women.

The effects of whey protein on cardiometabolic risk factors.

Obesity has reached epidemic proportions worldwide. The health consequences of obesity are more dangerous when associated with the metabolic syndrome and its components. Studies show that whey protein and its bioactive components can promote greater benefits compared to other protein sources such as egg and casein. The aim of this paper is to review the effects of whey protein on cardiometabolic risk factors. Using PubMed as the database, a review was conducted to identify current scientific literature on whey protein and the components of the metabolic syndrome published between 1970 and 2012. Consumption of whey protein seems to play an anti-obesity and muscle-protective role during dieting by increasing thermogenesis and maintaining lean mass. In addition, whey protein has been shown to improve glucose levels and insulin response, promote a reduction in blood pressure and arterial stiffness, and improve lipid profile. The collective view of current scientific literature indicates that the consumption of whey protein may have beneficial effects on some symptoms of the metabolic syndrome as well as a reduction in cardiovascular risk factors.

Effects of chronic exercise training on inflammatory markers in Australian overweight and obese individuals in a randomized controlled trial.

Physical activity has been shown to lower levels of inflammatory markers. However, results are inconsistent, indicating different modes of exercise may have different effects on inflammatory cytokines. We aimed to investigate the effects of 12 weeks of moderate-intensity aerobic, resistance, or combination exercise on TNF-α and IL-6 compared to no exercise in overweight and obese individuals. TNF-α levels were significantly decreased at week 12 compared to baseline by 20.8 % in the Aerobic group (p = 0.011), 26.9 % in the Resistance group (p = 0.0001), and 32.6 % in the Combination group (p = 0.003). Levels of TNF-α were significantly lower in the Combination compared to the Control group after 12 weeks of exercise training (-22.6 %, p = 0.025) when adjusting for baseline levels. Twelve weeks of moderate-intensity aerobic, resistance, but mainly combination exercise training decreased TNF-α in overweight and obese individuals compared to no exercise. Therefore, combination exercise training may be physiologically relevant in decreasing the risk of developing chronic diseases.

Meal replacements and fibre supplement as a strategy for weight loss. Proprietary PGX® meal replacement and PGX® fibre supplement in addition to a calorie-restricted diet to achieve weight loss in a clinical setting.

Meal replacements and viscous soluble fibre represent safe and sustainable aids for weight loss. Our purpose was to determine if PGX® meal replacements and PGX(®) fibre complex in combination with a calorie-restricted diet would aid in weight loss in a clinical setting. Fifty-two overweight and obese participants (49 women, 3 men; average age 47.1 years) with a mean body mass index (BMI) of 33.8 ± 6.4 kg/m(2) consumed 57 g of proprietary PGX® meal replacement product at breakfast and another 57 g at lunch for 12 weeks. In addition to the meal replacements, they were also asked to consume 5 g/day of PGX® fibre in the form of granules, powder or capsules together with 250 mlwater. A registered dietician recommended low-fat, low-glycaemic-index foods for snacks and the dinner menus such that each volunteer was consuming a total of 1200 kcal/day. All participants (n = 52) lost a significant amount of weight from baseline (-4.69 ± 3.73 kg), which was further reflected in the reductions in their waist (-7.11 ± 6.35 cm) and hip circumference (-5.59 ± 3.58 cm) over the 12-week study (p < 0.0001). BMI scores (n = 51) were reduced by 1.6 ± 1.4 kg/m(2). The use of PGX® meal replacements and PGX(®) fibre along with a controlled dietary caloric intake is of benefit for short-term weight loss.