Suppression of DNA damage by dietary supplement which contains plant extracts: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial

Objective: This study was undertaken to examine the Kurozu concentrate (KC) based dietary supplement on several obesity-related parameters in obese Japanese male and female adults.Background: Kurozu, which is a specific type of rice vinegar produced by fermentation of unpolished brown rice, has long been used as a traditional health food and folk medicine in Japan. A recent animal study and our preliminary human study suggest that the KC supplement has potential for use in the management of obesity.Materials and Methods: A 12-week, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial was conducted involving 48 Japanese adult subjects (28 males and 20 females) with obesity. Subjects were either assigned to the group consuming the KC supplement for 12 weeks (870mg/day; 480 mg/day as KC) (n=24; 14 males and 10 females) or the placebo group (n=24; 14 males and 10 females). All test participants were assessed using several obesity-related parameters, including body weight, BMI, waist circumference, and abdominal fat computed tomography (CT) sections. These measurements took place at baseline and at week 12. Results: At week 12, a significant decrease in body weight (P<0.043) and nearly significant decreased values of BMI (P=0.052) were observed in the KC group compared to the placebo group. The reduction in waist circumference at week 12 within the KC group was not significantly greater than the placebo group. Examination of abdominal CT sections around the navel indicated that, although most of the values of the total fat area, subcutaneous fat area, and visceral fat area for both of the placebo and KC groups significantly increased during the 12-week intervention, the magnitude of increase in the total fat area for all subjects and that of the total fat area, subcutaneous fat area, and visceral fat area for females on one or more of three CT sections were significantly lower in the KC group than the placebo group (P<0.05).Conclusion: Although the results are not definitive, KC supplementation may have potential for improving some obesity-related parameters in obese subjects, particularly females.Key words: Kurozu concentrate (KC), KC-based dietary supplement (KC supplement), abdominal obesity-related parameters, body mass index (BMI), computed tomography (CT), abdominal fat

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Randomised double-blind placebo-controlled intervention study on the nutritional efficacy of a food for special medical purposes (FSMP) and a dietary supplement in reducing the symptoms of veisalgia

BMJ Nutrition, Prevention & Health ◽

10.1136/bmjnph-2019-000042 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 3 (1) ◽

pp. 31-39

Author(s):

Bernhard Lieb ◽

Patrick Schmitt

Keyword(s):

Alcohol Consumption ◽

Dietary Supplement ◽

Plant Extracts ◽

Intervention Study ◽

Individual Variability ◽

Common Belief ◽

Double Blind ◽

Excessive Alcohol Consumption ◽

Double Blind Placebo ◽

Positive Effects

ObjectiveTo assess whether the symptoms of veisalgia can be reduced by intense water supply and the intake of antioxidative supplements and plant extracts.MethodsWe performed the world’s largest randomised double-blind placebo-controlled intervention study (214 participants) on the efficacy of a food for special medical purposes (FSMP) against veisalgia symptoms. We analysed the effectiveness of: (1) an FSMP, including distinct plant extracts, vitamins and minerals, and additional (antioxidative) compounds; (2) a dietary supplement only comprising vitamins and minerals and additional (antioxidative) compounds; and (3) a placebo containing only glucose. The study followed the CONSORT (Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials) guidelines and trial registration was not necessary.ResultsOur study showed no statistically significant relationship between the variation of body water content and alcohol consumption. Contrary to common belief, the results showed that intervention with a supplement containing vitamins and minerals and additional antioxidative compounds did not lead to a statistically significant improvement in hangover symptoms. Additionally, our results confirmed a high individual variability in developing hangover symptoms depending on the amount of alcohol. Thus, standardisation of the amount of alcohol consumed in hangover studies does not necessarily contribute to the validity of the results. Finally, this study found a number of positive effects on certain hangover symptoms as a result of the FSMP, which were most likely due to the plant extracts contained within the food.ConclusionThis study significantly supports the finding that haemostasis of electrolytes and minerals caused by alcohol consumption might be negligible and that no significant dehydration due to alcohol consumption seems to occur. Additionally, only the FSMP provides evidence for a significant efficiency in the reduction of hangover symptoms such as headache and nausea following moderate and non-excessive alcohol consumption.

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The Relieving Effects of BrainPower Advanced, a Dietary Supplement, in Older Adults with Subjective Memory Complaints: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial

Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine ◽

10.1155/2016/7898093 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 2016 ◽

pp. 1-16 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Jingfen Zhu ◽

Rong Shi ◽

Su Chen ◽

Lihua Dai ◽

Tian Shen ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Dietary Supplement ◽

Controlled Trial ◽

Memory Function ◽

Memory Loss ◽

Subjective Memory Complaints ◽

Subjective Memory ◽

Double Blind ◽

Double Blind Placebo ◽

Memory Complaints

Subjective memory complaints (SMCs) are common in older adults that can often predict further cognitive impairment. No proven effective agents are available for SMCs. The effect of BrainPower Advanced, a dietary supplement consisting of herbal extracts, nutrients, and vitamins, was evaluated in 98 volunteers with SMCs, averaging 67 years of age (47–88), in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Subjective hypomnesis/memory loss (SML) and attention/concentration deficits (SAD) were evaluated before and after 12-week supplementation of BrainPower Advanced capsules (n=47) or placebo (n=51), using a 5-point memory questionnaire (1 = no/slight, 5 = severe). Objective memory function was evaluated using 3 subtests of visual/audio memory, abstraction, and memory recall that gave a combined total score. The BrainPower Advanced group had more cases of severe SML (severity⩾3) (44/47) and severe SAD (43/47) than the placebo group (39/51 and 37/51, < 0.05, < 0.05, resp.) before the treatment. BrainPower Advanced intervention, however, improved a greater proportion of the severe SML (29.5%)(13/44) (P<0.01) and SAD (34.9%)(15/43)(P<0.01) than placebo (5.1% (2/39) and 13.5% (5/37), resp.). Thus, 3-month BrainPower Advanced supplementation appears to be beneficial to older adults with SMCs.

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