Wheat Germ Supplementation Will Improve Markers of Gut Health, Inflammation, and Insulin Resistance in Overweight Adults

Abstract Objectives This study investigated the effects of wheat germ (WG) supplementation on inflammation, metabolic, and gut health markers in overweight adults. Methods Forty overweight (BMI = 25.0–30 kg/m2) adults between 18–45 y old were recruited to this single-blinded randomized placebo-controlled study. Qualified participants were asked to maintain their normal diet and physical activity and consume energy balls containing 30 g of either WG or cornmeal (control) daily for 4 wks. Anthropometric and metabolic parameters, as well as dietary (3-d food record), medical history, physical activity (Yale Physical Activity Survey), stool measures (Bristol Stool Chart and the Cleveland Clinic Constipation Scoring System), gut integrity markers, and fecal bacterial population were assessed at baseline and at the end of the supplementation period. Results Thirty-nine participants completed the 4-week study (n = 20 and 19 for the WG and control group, respectively). There were no differences in the lipid profile, but glycated hemoglobin (P = 0.04), insulin (P = 0.03), and homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR; P = 0.04) were significantly decreased in the WG but not the control group. Similarly, the adipokine resistin was also significantly reduced (P = 0.03) by WG but not the control. There were no changes in stool characteristics between the two groups before and after supplementation. Similarly, there were no changes in gut bacterial population due to WG supplementation but the phyla Bacteroidetes (P = 0.03) and Proteobacteria (P = 0.048) and the genus Bacteroides (P = 0.03) were significantly decreased in the control group. No significant changes were observed in plasma inflammatory markers, fecal short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) concentrations, and markers of gut integrity in both groups. Conclusions Four weeks of WG supplementation improved markers of glucose homeostasis, which can partly be attributed to the reduction of the pro-inflammatory adipokine resistin and not due to changes within the gut (i.e., bacterial population, gut integrity markers, and SCFA production). Our findings indicate that WG may be a safe, effective, and economical approach to improve glucose homeostasis. Funding Sources USDA Award #2019–67,018-29,260 and the Jim and Lynn Williams Professorship.

Download Full-text

Saccharin Does Not Affect Insulin Resistance in 14 Overweight Adults without Diabetes

Diabetes ◽

10.2337/db18-771-p ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 67 (Supplement 1) ◽

pp. 771-P

Author(s):

KARIN RADHOLM ◽

KENNY KALIN ◽

MARIA WENNBERG ◽

MARK WOODWARD ◽

ESQ. ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Insulin Resistance ◽

Overweight Adults

Download Full-text

Montmorency Tart Cherry Supplementation Has Modest Effects on the Gut Microbiome and Markers of Gut Integrity and Insulin Resistance in Mice Fed Western Diet

Current Developments in Nutrition ◽

10.1093/cdn/nzab037_041 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 5 (Supplement_2) ◽

pp. 331-331

Author(s):

Amritpal Kaur ◽

Babajide Ojo ◽

Siau Yen Wong ◽

Sanmi Alake ◽

Guadalupe Davila-El Rassi ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Insulin Resistance ◽

Fasting Blood Glucose ◽

Dietary Treatment ◽

Western Diet ◽

Metabolic Parameters ◽

Histological Evaluation ◽

Model Assessment ◽

Gut Health ◽

Tart Cherry ◽

Freeze Dried

Abstract Objectives This study investigated the dose-dependent effects of freeze-dried Montmorency tart cherry (TC) supplementation on gut health and metabolic parameters in mice fed a western diet (WD). Methods Six-week-old male C57BL/6 mice were randomly assigned to dietary treatment groups in a 2 × 3 factorial design with diet (control [AIN-93M] or WD, 45% fat kcal and 26% sucrose kcal) and TC (0, 5, 10% wt/wt) as factors for 12 wks. At the end of dietary treatment, body composition was assessed by dual energy xray absorptiometry, and tissues were collected to evaluate metabolic parameters and markers of gut health. Cecal content was used for bacterial and short chain fatty acid analyses (SCFAs). Results TC at the 10% dose significantly increased the abundance of the beneficial bacterial phylum, Actinobacteria, relative to the unsupplemented groups (P = 0.018 and 0.010 vs control and WD, respectively). Relative cecal weight (P = 0.007) and SCFAs were significantly increased (P < 0.05) with TC supplementation (∼20% and 2-fold for relative cecal weight and SCFAs, respectively). Histological evaluation revealed reduced ileal villi height (P = 0.0348), width (P = 0.0042) and area (P = 0.0132) with WD, and TC did not alter this response. Overall, the expression of genes related to gut health (i.e barrier integrity marker, mucus layer formation, and inflammatory marker), were unaffected by both WD and TC supplementation. Body weight (P = 0.0012), fat mass (P = 0.007), fasting blood glucose (P = 0.001), serum total cholesterol (P < 0.0001), triglyceride (P = 0.002), leptin (P = 0.0011), plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 (P = 0.0344), and resistin (P = 0.0012) were increased with WD, and TC had no effect on these parameters. Despite modest effects on metabolic parameters, the homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance, HOMA-IR, a commonly used tool for assessing insulin resistance, was improved by 50% with the 5% TC (P = 0.0003). Conclusions TC supplementation restored some beneficial bacteria and increased SCFAs altered by WD. However, these changes in the gut did not translate to improvement in metabolic outcomes except for HOMA-IR. The mechanism by which TC improves HOMA-IR needs to be investigated in future studies. Funding Sources Cherry Marketing Institute and the Jim and Lynn Williams Professorship.

Download Full-text

Vitamin D and Cardio-Metabolic Risk Factors in Overweight Adults: An Overview of the Evidence

Current Pharmaceutical Design ◽

10.2174/1381612825666190722103919 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 25 (22) ◽

pp. 2407-2420 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Ana Valer-Martinez ◽

J. Alfredo Martinez ◽

Carmen Sayon-Orea ◽

Fabio Galvano ◽

Giuseppe Grosso ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Risk Factors ◽

Insulin Resistance ◽

Vitamin D ◽

Cardiometabolic Risk ◽

Strong Association ◽

Cardiometabolic Risk Factors ◽

Cochrane Library ◽

Inverse Association ◽

Cardiometabolic Disorders ◽

Overweight Adults

Background: Several studies have suggested a potential association between low vitamin D serum levels and several pathological conditions apart from the well-known bone disorders. Thus, vitamin D insufficiency has been linked to cardiometabolic risk factors including obesity, insulin resistance, hypertension, dyslipidemia, as well as type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Objective: This review intends to provide an overview of recent evidence from clinical studies on vitamin D [25- hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D)] and cardiometabolic risk factors in overweight adults. Furthermore, we also discussed potential mechanisms and limits of the retrieved results. Methods: The search process was based on the selection of publications (RCT) listed in PubMed and Cochrane Library databases. Results: Vitamin D status evidenced an inversely strong association with subcutaneous adipose tissue and visceral adiposity, but not significantly related to other bodyweight measures (i.e., body mass index). Studies have shown a potential inverse association of hypovitaminosis D with insulin resistance and cardiovascular risk factors. Conclusion: The mechanisms by which vitamin D deficiency enhances adiposity, as well as putative association with metabolic syndrome features, remain still unclear. Further investigation would be required to conclude whether vitamin D has an independent role in preventing cardiometabolic disorders.

Download Full-text

Wheat germ supplementation alleviates insulin resistance and cardiac mitochondrial dysfunction in an animal model of diet-induced obesity

British Journal Of Nutrition ◽

10.1017/s0007114517002082 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 118 (4) ◽

pp. 241-249 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

Babajide Ojo ◽

Ashley J. Simenson ◽

Crystal O’Hara ◽

Lei Wu ◽

Xin Gou ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Insulin Resistance ◽

Mitochondrial Dysfunction ◽

Wheat Germ ◽

Serum Insulin ◽

Metabolic Stress ◽

Dietary Treatment ◽

Model Assessment ◽

Negative Effects ◽

Inhibitory Peptide ◽

Antioxidant Markers

AbstractObesity is strongly associated with insulin resistance (IR), along with mitochondrial dysfunction to metabolically active tissues and increased production of reactive O2 species (ROS). Foods rich in antioxidants such as wheat germ (WG), protect tissues from damage due to ROS and modulate some negative effects of obesity. This study examined the effects of WG supplementation on markers of IR, mitochondrial substrate metabolism and innate antioxidant markers in two metabolically active tissues (i.e. liver and heart) of C57BL/6 mice fed a high-fat–high-sucrose (HFS) diet. Male C57BL/6 mice, 6-week-old, were randomised into four dietary treatment groups (n 12 mice/group): control (C, 10 % fat kcal), C+10 % WG, HFS (60 % fat kcal) or HFS+10 % WG (HFS+WG). After 12 weeks of treatment, HFS+WG mice had significantly less visceral fat (−16 %, P=0·006) compared with the HFS group. WG significantly reduced serum insulin (P=0·009), the insulinotropic hormone, gastric inhibitory peptide (P=0·0003), and the surrogate measure of IR, homoeostatic model assessment of IR (P=0·006). HFS diet significantly elevated (45 %, P=0·02) cardiac complex 2 mitochondrial VO2, suggesting increased metabolic stress, whereas WG stabilised this effect to the level of control. Consequently, genes which mediate antioxidant defense and mitochondrial biogenesis (superoxide dismutase 2 (Sod2) and PPARγ coactivator 1-α (Pgc1a), respectively) were significantly reduced (P<0·05) in the heart of the HFS group, whereas WG supplementation tended to up-regulate both genes. WG significantly increased hepatic gene expression of Sod2 (P=0·048) but not Pgc1a. Together, these results showed that WG supplementation in HFS diet, reduced IR and improved cardiac mitochondrial metabolic functions.

Download Full-text

Telmisartan Effects on Insulin Resistance in Obese or Overweight Adults Without Diabetes or Hypertension

Journal of Clinical Hypertension ◽

10.1111/j.1751-7176.2010.00335.x ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 12 (9) ◽

pp. 746-752 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

Willa Hsueh ◽

Giora Davidai ◽

Robert Henry ◽

Sunder Mudaliar

Keyword(s):

Insulin Resistance ◽

Overweight Adults

Download Full-text

Whole-Grain Rye and Wheat Affect Some Markers of Gut Health without Altering the Fecal Microbiota in Healthy Overweight Adults: A 6-Week Randomized Trial

Journal of Nutrition ◽

10.3945/jn.117.250647 ◽

2017 ◽

pp. jn250647 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Stine Vuholm ◽

Dennis S Nielsen ◽

Kia Nøhr Iversen ◽

Julie Suhr ◽

Peter Westermann ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Randomized Trial ◽

Fecal Microbiota ◽

Gut Health ◽

Whole Grain ◽

Overweight Adults

Download Full-text

Phosphatidylserine from Portunus trituberculatus Eggs Alleviates Insulin Resistance and Alters the Gut Microbiota in High-Fat-Diet-Fed Mice

Marine Drugs ◽

10.3390/md18090483 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 18 (9) ◽

pp. 483

Author(s):

Shiwei Hu ◽

Mengyu Du ◽

Laijin Su ◽

Huicheng Yang

Keyword(s):

Insulin Resistance ◽

Gut Microbiota ◽

High Fat Diet ◽

Glucose Transporter ◽

Animal Experiments ◽

Intestinal Bacteria ◽

Food Supplement ◽

Portunus Trituberculatus ◽

Gut Health ◽

High Fat

Portunus trituberculatus eggs contain phospholipids, whose components and bioactivity are unclear. Here, we investigated the fatty acid composition of phosphatidylserine from P. trituberculatus eggs (Pt-PS). Moreover, its effects on insulin resistance and gut microbiota were also evaluated in high-fat-diet-fed mice. Our results showed that Pt-PS accounted for 26.51% of phospholipids and contained abundant polyunsaturated fatty acids (more than 50% of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)). Animal experiments indicated that Pt-PS significantly decreased body weight and adipose weight gain, improved hyperglycemia and hyperinsulinemia, mitigated insulin resistance, and regulated circulatory cytokines. Pt-PS activated insulin receptor substrate 1 (IRS1) and increased the levels of IRS1-associated phosphatidylinositol 3-hydroxy kinase (PI3K), phosphorylated protein kinase B (Akt) protein, and plasma membrane glucose transporter 4 protein. Furthermore, Pt-PS modified the gut microbiota, inducing, especially, a dramatic decrease in the ratio of Firmicutes to Bacteroidetes at the phylum level, as well as a remarkable improvement in their subordinate categories. Pt-PS also reduced fecal lipopolysaccharide concentration and enhanced fecal acetate, propionate, and butyrate concentrations. Additionally, the effects of Pt-PS on alleviation of insulin resistance and regulation of intestinal bacteria were better than those of phosphatidylserine from soybean. These results suggest that Pt-PS mitigates insulin resistance by altering the gut microbiota. Therefore, Pt-PS may be developed as an effective food supplement for the inhibition of insulin resistance and the regulation of human gut health.

Download Full-text