Herbal dietary interventions for weight loss among regularly exercising women in Turkey

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Elif Didem Ors ◽  
Zeynep Goktas

Purpose Obesity is a chronic disease that is conjoined with increased mortality. Parallel to rising obesity rates, herbal dietary interventions to lose weight are also increasing. The purpose of this study is to assess and evaluate the use of herbal dietary interventions for weight loss among regularly exercising women. Design/methodology/approach A total of 545 regularly exercising women (aged 19–64 years) were recruited from several local sports centers. A questionnaire form to evaluate demographic characteristics, nutritional habits and herbal dietary intervention habits was administered by a trained dietitian. Anthropometric measurements including weight, height, fat mass, total body water and fat free mass were measured using a bioelectrical impedance analysis device. Findings A total of 244 participants (44.8%) used herbal dietary interventions for weight loss within the last year. The most commonly used herbal dietary interventions were green tea (59.4%), lemon juice (27%), herbal tea mix (20.9%) and cinnamon powder (17.6%), respectively. Of the 244 women who used herbal dietary interventions for weight loss, 42.2% claimed that by using these products they experienced weight loss. Herbal dietary interventions were significantly higher among women with obesity (61.9%) than women with a healthy weight (37.5%). The use of herbal supplements increased among women who consider themselves as being overweight (p < 0.001). Furthermore, herbal dietary interventions decreased with more frequent attempts for a weight-loss diet (p < 0.001). Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study represents a first attempt at assessing the use of herbal dietary supplements for weight loss among regularly exercising Turkish women. With the increase of body mass index and body perception being as overweight, herbal dietary interventions were also increased. In particular, women with obesity (61.9%) used more herbal dietary interventions than women with healthy weight (37.5%). Moreover, women with an overweight body perception used more herbal supplements than those who thought they had a healthy body weight.

2020 ◽  
Vol 111 (3) ◽  
pp. 536-544 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jake Turicchi ◽  
Ruairi O'Driscoll ◽  
Graham Finlayson ◽  
Cristiana Duarte ◽  
Mark Hopkins ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Background Dynamic changes in body composition which occur during weight loss may have an influential role on subsequent energy balance behaviors and weight. Objectives The aim of this article is to consider the effect of proportionate changes in body composition during weight loss on subsequent changes in appetite and weight outcomes at 26 wk in individuals engaged in a weight loss maintenance intervention. Methods A subgroup of the Diet, Obesity, and Genes (DiOGenes) study (n = 209) was recruited from 3 European countries. Participants underwent an 8-wk low-calorie diet (LCD) resulting in ≥8% body weight loss, during which changes in body composition (by DXA) and appetite (by visual analog scale appetite perceptions in response to a fixed test meal) were measured. Participants were randomly assigned into 5 weight loss maintenance diets based on protein and glycemic index content and followed up for 26 wk. We investigated associations between proportionate fat-free mass (FFM) loss (%FFML) during weight loss and 1) weight outcomes at 26 wk and 2) changes in appetite perceptions. Results During the LCD, participants lost a mean ± SD of 11.2 ± 3.5 kg, of which 30.4% was FFM. After adjustment, there was a tendency for %FFML to predict weight regain in the whole group (β: 0.041; 95% CI: −0.001, 0.08; P = 0.055), which was significant in men (β: 0.09; 95% CI: 0.02, 0.15; P = 0.009) but not women (β: 0.01; 95% CI: −0.04, 0.07; P = 0.69). Associations between %FFML and change in appetite perceptions during weight loss were inconsistent. The strongest observations were in men for hunger (r = 0.69, P = 0.002) and desire to eat (r = 0.61, P = 0.009), with some tendencies in the whole group and no associations in women. Conclusions Our results suggest that composition of weight loss may have functional importance for energy balance regulation, with greater losses of FFM potentially being associated with increased weight regain and appetite. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT00390637.


Reproduction ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 153 (1) ◽  
pp. R15-R27 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brittany Y Jarrett ◽  
Marla E Lujan

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common cause of ovulatory dysfunction affecting women of reproductive age. Obesity and insulin resistance are thought to potentiate disruptions in antral follicle development that result in chronic anovulation, and as such, have become important therapeutic targets of dietary interventions aimed at weight loss. Caloric restriction has been shown to promote sporadic ovulation in obese women with PCOS, but improvements have occurred across a wide range of patients and little has been garnered about the factors that distinguish responders from non-responders. Further, few studies have evaluated the likelihood for modest weight loss to restore normal ovulatory cyclicity in PCOS. Consensus regarding the impact of dietary intervention on ovulation has been limited by variability in the measures used to characterize and report ovulatory status across studies. In response, this review provides an assessment of the evidence surrounding the effectiveness of hypocaloric dietary intervention to normalize ovulatory function in PCOS. The impact of physiological vs methodological factors on the evaluation of ovulatory status is discussed, and recommendations to strengthen future studies in this area are provided. Ultimately, further research is needed to understand the optimal dietary or lifestyle approaches that promote ovulation and sustained improvements in reproductive function in PCOS.


2013 ◽  
Vol 80 (3) ◽  
pp. 1142-1149 ◽  
Author(s):  
Henrik M. Roager ◽  
Tine R. Licht ◽  
Sanne K. Poulsen ◽  
Thomas M. Larsen ◽  
Martin I. Bahl

ABSTRACTIt has been suggested that the human gut microbiota can be divided into enterotypes based on the abundance of specific bacterial groups; however, the biological significance and stability of these enterotypes remain unresolved. Here, we demonstrated that subjects (n= 62) 18 to 65 years old with central obesity and components of metabolic syndrome could be grouped into two discrete groups simply by their relative abundance ofPrevotellaspp. divided byBacteroidesspp. (P/Bratio) obtained by quantitative PCR analysis. Furthermore, we showed that these groups remained stable during a 6-month, controlled dietary intervention, where the effect of consuming a diet in accord with the new Nordic diet (NND) recommendations as opposed to consuming the average Danish diet (ADD) on the gut microbiota was investigated. In this study, subjects (with and without stratification according toP/Bratio) did not reveal significant changes in 35 selected bacterial taxa quantified by quantitative PCR (ADD compared to NND) resulting from the dietary interventions. However, we found higher total plasma cholesterol within the high-P/Bgroup than in the low-P/Bgroup after the intervention. We propose that stratification of humans based simply on theirP/Bratio could allow better assessment of possible effects of interventions on the gut microbiota and physiological biomarkers.


Nutrients ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (10) ◽  
pp. 3188
Author(s):  
Ellen E. Quillen ◽  
Daniel P. Beavers ◽  
Anderson O’Brien Cox ◽  
Cristina M. Furdui ◽  
Jingyun Lee ◽  
...  

Inter-individual response to dietary interventions remains a major challenge to successful weight loss among older adults. This study applied metabolomics technology to identify small molecule signatures associated with a loss of fat mass and overall weight in a cohort of older adults on a nutritionally complete, high-protein diet. A total of 102 unique metabolites were measured using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) for 38 adults aged 65–80 years randomized to dietary intervention and 36 controls. Metabolite values were analyzed in both baseline plasma samples and samples collected following the six-month dietary intervention to consider both metabolites that could predict the response to diet and those that changed in response to diet or weight loss.Eight metabolites changed over the intervention at a nominally significant level: D-pantothenic acid, L-methionine, nicotinate, aniline, melatonin, deoxycarnitine, 6-deoxy-L-galactose, and 10-hydroxydecanoate. Within the intervention group, there was broad variation in the achieved weight-loss and dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA)-defined changes in total fat and visceral adipose tissue (VAT) mass. Change in the VAT mass was significantly associated with the baseline abundance of α-aminoadipate (p = 0.0007) and an additional mass spectrometry peak that may represent D-fructose, myo-inositol, mannose, α-D-glucose, allose, D-galactose, D-tagatose, or L-sorbose (p = 0.0001). This hypothesis-generating study reflects the potential of metabolomic biomarkers for the development of personalized dietary interventions.


Circulation ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 129 (suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Deirdre K Tobias ◽  
Mu Chen ◽  
Walter Willett ◽  
Frank B Hu

Introduction: The effectiveness of low-fat diets for weight loss has been debated for decades. Dozens of randomized control trials (RCTs) have assessed whether decreasing the intake of total fat leads to weight loss, giving mixed results. Hypothesis: We hypothesized that low-fat dietary interventions do not lead to greater weight loss when comparator diet intervention intensity is considered. Methods: We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis. RCTs were included if they compared a low-fat dietary intervention to any control diet with at least 1 year of follow-up. We estimated the combined fixed effect inverse variance weighted mean difference of low-fat vs. comparison diets. Several a priori stratified analyses were considered to explore heterogeneity. Results: Fifty studies met inclusion criteria, reporting 1-10 years of follow-up on 70,054 participants. Overall, low-fat dietary interventions resulted in 0.51kg greater weight loss compared to other diets (95% CI = -0.62, -0.40, p<0.001; I2 = 83%). However, when trials where greater attention was given to the low-fat group were excluded, comparator diets led to greater weight loss than low-fat diets (n=30; WMD=0.87, 95% CI=0.56, 1.17, p<0.001). Similarly, when the type of comparator diet was considered, low-fat diets were only beneficial compared to control groups who were simply asked to maintain their usual diet (n=18; WMD = -1.03, 95% CI = -1.18, -0.88, p<0.001). When equal attention was given to intervention groups, low-carbohydrate diets (n=15; WMD = 1.13kg, 95% CI = 0.53, 1.73, p<0.001) and other “healthy” diets without a low-fat component (n=20; WMD = 0.77kg, 95% CI = 0.42, 1.13, p<0.001) led to greater weight loss than low-fat diets. Comparison diets, irrespective of type, were associated with 1.30kg greater weight loss than low-fat diets when the interventions were intended to be isocaloric (n=19; 95% CI = 0.92, 1.69, p<0.001). Conclusions: Low-fat dietary interventions are not more effective than other diets for weight loss when differences in intervention intensity between treatment groups are considered. Rather, evidence from long-term (>=1 year) randomized trials indicates low-carbohydrate or other healthful dietary pattern interventions without a low-fat focus may be more effective for weight loss than low-fat dietary interventions. Further evidence is needed to establish the role of these interventions in longer-term weight loss and weight maintenance.


Circulation ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 131 (suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yan Zheng ◽  
Uta Ceglarek ◽  
Tao Huang ◽  
Lerong Li ◽  
Jennifer Rood ◽  
...  

Background: Emerging evidence has related circulating amino acids to diabetes and cardiovascular risk. Little is known about how diet modifications affect circulating amino acids. The present study aimed to examine the effects of weight-loss diets on long-term changes in plasma amino acids, and their relations with weight loss and metabolic outcomes. Methods and Results: We repeatedly measured plasma amino acid profiles over 2 years among overweight or obese participants from two randomized dietary interventional weight-loss trials: 774 from the Preventing Overweight Using Novel Dietary Strategies trial (POUNDS LOST) and 318 from Dietary Intervention Randomized Controlled Trial (DIRECT). The plasma levels of most amino acids decreased from baseline during follow-up in both trials. In the POUNDS LOST trial, compared to the high-protein diets, the average-protein weight-loss diets showed a greater effect on decreasing plasma levels of a diabetes-associated branched-chain amino acid (BCAA) valine and another amino acid methyl-histidine at 6 months, independent of weight change (p<0.002). Furthermore, the changes of plasma BCAA leucine/isoleucine, aromatic amino acid tyrosine and phenylalanine, and four other amino acids (alanine, sarcosine, hydroxyproline, and methionine) were positively related to concurrent weight loss, consistently in both trials (5-13g weight loss per 1 unit decease in log[amino acid in μmol/L], p<0.002). Moreover, the changes in tyrosine and alanine were positively related to changes in insulin resistance, independent of weight change, in both trials (p<0.05). Conclusion: Our findings underscore the potential importance of weight-loss dietary interventions in improvement of amino acid profiles and related cardiometabolic risk.


2014 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 121-135 ◽  
Author(s):  
Deborah G. Passey ◽  
Arun Garg ◽  
Anita Kinney ◽  
Riann Robbins ◽  
Kurt T. Hegmann ◽  
...  

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore truck drivers’ views toward diet, physical activity, and health care access to inform the development of a weight loss intervention. Design/methodology/approach – The authors conducted four focus groups via teleconference (one) or in person (three). Each focus group included eight to ten truck drivers. Sessions were digitally recorded and transcribed. The authors used thematic analysis of the participant responses to develop themes and subthemes. Findings – Truck drivers desired good health, however, many knowledge gaps were identified. Drivers were aware of some healthy foods, but lacked knowledge of appropriate energy intake and healthy weight. Drivers expressed many barriers to eating healthy food and engaging in physical activity on the road. Participants suggested strategies and resources to improve their diet and increase physical activity. Research limitations/implications – This qualitative study included a convenience sample of 30 long-haul truck drivers. Consensus of themes and subthemes was achieved by four sessions. Issues facing long-haul truck drivers may be different than other truck drivers. Additional qualitative research should be conducted along with interventions focussed on healthy behaviors that can be implemented in the mobile working environment. Originality/value – This is the first focus group study of truck drivers that targets eating and physical activity. Future weight loss intervention designs should address the lack of knowledge and skills. To succeed, interventions should implement strategies to address perceived barriers: access, time limitations, and high cost of healthy lifestyle habits.


2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Soodeh Razeghi Jahromi ◽  
◽  
Zeinab Ghorbani ◽  
Paolo Martelletti ◽  
Christian Lampl ◽  
...  

AbstractThe global prevalence of migraine as a primary headache has been estimated as 14.4% in both sexes. Migraine headache has been ranked as the highest contributor to disability in under 50 years old population in the world. Extensive research has been conducted in order to clarify the pathological mechanisms of migraine. Although uncertainties remains, it has been indicated that vascular dysfunction, cortical spreading depression (CSD), activation of the trigeminovascular pathway, pro-inflammatory and oxidative state may play a putative role in migraine pain generation. Knowledge about pathophysiological mechanisms of migraine should be integrated into a multimodal treatment approach to increase quality of life in patients. With respect to this, within the integrative health studies growing interest pertains to dietary interventions. Although the number of studies concerning effects of diet on headache/migraine is not yet very large, the current article will review the available evidence in this area. All publications on headache/migraine and dietary interventions up to May 2019 were included in the present review through a PubMed/MEDLINE and ScienceDirect database search. According to the current findings, Ketogenic diet and modified Atkins diet are thought to play a role in neuroprotection, improving mitochondrial function and energy metabolism, compensating serotoninergic dysfunction, decreasing calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) level and suppressing neuro-inflammation. It can also be speculated that prescription of low glycemic diet may be promising in headache/migraine control through attenuating the inflammatory state. Moreover, obesity and headaches including migraine could be attributed to each other through mechanisms like inflammation, and irregular hypothalamic function. Thereby, applying dietary strategies for weight loss may also ameliorate headache/migraine. Another important dietary intervention that might be effective in headache/migraine improvement is related to balance between the intake of essential fatty acids, omega-6 and omega-3 which also affect inflammatory responses, platelet function and regulation of vascular tone. Regarding elimination diets, it appears that targeted these diets in migraine patients with food sensitivities could be effective in headache/migraine prevention. Taken together, dietary approaches that could be considered as effective strategies in headache/migraine prophylaxis include weight loss diets in obese headache patients, ketogenic and low-calorie diets, reducing omega-6 and increasing omega-3 fatty acid intakes.


2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (22) ◽  
pp. 8670
Author(s):  
Andrea Maugeri

Previous evidence from in vivo and observational research suggested how dietary factors might affect DNA methylation signatures involved in obesity risk. However, findings from experimental studies are still scarce and, if present, not so clear. The current review summarizes studies investigating the effect of dietary interventions on DNA methylation in the general population and especially in people at risk for or with obesity. Overall, these studies suggest how dietary interventions may induce DNA methylation changes, which in turn are likely related to the risk of obesity and to different response to weight loss programs. These findings might explain the high interindividual variation in weight loss after a dietary intervention, with some people losing a lot of weight while others much less so. However, the interactions between genetic, epigenetic, environmental and lifestyle factors make the whole framework even more complex and further studies are needed to support the hypothesis of personalized interventions against obesity.


2015 ◽  
Vol 114 (10) ◽  
pp. 1656-1666 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amir Emadian ◽  
Rob C. Andrews ◽  
Clare Y. England ◽  
Victoria Wallace ◽  
Janice L. Thompson

AbstractWeight loss is crucial for treating type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). It remains unclear which dietary intervention is best for optimising glycaemic control, or whether weight loss itself is the main reason behind observed improvements. The objective of this study was to assess the effects of various dietary interventions on glycaemic control in overweight and obese adults with T2DM when controlling for weight loss between dietary interventions. A systematic review of randomised controlled trials (RCT) was conducted. Electronic searches of Medline, Embase, Cinahl and Web of Science databases were conducted. Inclusion criteria included RCT with minimum 6 months duration, with participants having BMI≥25·0 kg/m2, a diagnosis of T2DM using HbA1c, and no statistically significant difference in mean weight loss at the end point of intervention between dietary arms. Results showed that eleven studies met the inclusion criteria. Only four RCT indicated the benefit of a particular dietary intervention over another in improving HbA1c levels, including the Mediterranean, vegan and low glycaemic index (GI) diets. However the findings from one of the four studies showing a significant benefit are questionable because of failure to control for diabetes medications and poor adherence to the prescribed diets. In conclusion there is currently insufficient evidence to suggest that any particular diet is superior in treating overweight and obese patients with T2DM. Although the Mediterranean, vegan and low-GI diets appear to be promising, further research that controls for weight loss and the effects of diabetes medications in larger samples is needed.


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