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Effect of cinnamon spice on continuously monitored glycemic response in adults with prediabetes: a 4-week randomized controlled crossover trial.
Zelicha, H, Yang, J, Henning, SM, Huang, J, Lee, RP, Thames, G, Livingston, EH, Heber, D, Li, Z
The American journal of clinical nutrition. 2024;(3):649-657
Abstract
BACKGROUND Previous clinical studies showing that cinnamon spice lowers blood glucose concentrations had inconsistent results. OBJECTIVES To determine the effect of daily cinnamon spice supplementation in an amount commonly used for seasoning on glucose concentrations in adults with obesity and prediabetes. METHODS Following a 2-wk run-in period of maintaining a low polyphenol/fiber diet, 18 participants with obesity and prediabetes underwent a 10-wk randomized, controlled, double-blind, crossover trial (mean age 51.1 y; mean fasting plasma glucose 102.9 mg/dL). The participants were randomly assigned to take cinnamon (4 g/d) or placebo for 4-wk, followed by a 2-wk washout period, and then crossed over to the other intervention for an additional 4-wk. Glucose changes were measured with continuous glucose monitoring. Oral glucose tolerance testing immediately following ingestion of cinnamon or placebo was performed at 4-time points to assess their acute effects both at the baseline and end of each intervention phase. Digestive symptom logs were obtained daily. RESULTS There were 694 follow-up days with 66,624 glucose observations. When compared with placebo, 24-h glucose concentrations were significantly lower when cinnamon was administered [mixed-models; effect size (ES) = 0.96; 95 % confidence interval (CI): -2.9, -1.5; P < 0.001]. Similarly, the mean net-area-under-the-curve (netAUC) for glucose was significantly lower than for placebo when cinnamon was given (over 24 h; ES = -0.66; 95 % CI: 2501.7, 5412.1, P = 0.01). Cinnamon supplementation resulted in lower glucose peaks compared with placebo (Δpeak 9.56 ± 9.1 mg/dL compared with 11.73 ± 8.0 mg/dL; ES = -0.57; 95 % CI: 0.8, 3.7, P = 0.027). Glucose-dependent-insulinotropic-polypeptide concentrations increased during oral glucose tolerance testing + cinnamon testing (mixed-models; ES = 0.51; 95 % CI: 1.56, 100.1, P = 0.04), whereas triglyceride concentrations decreased (mixed-models; ES = 0.55; 95 % CI: -16.0, -1.6, P = 0.02). Treatment adherence was excellent in both groups (cinnamon: 97.6 ± 3.4 % compared with placebo: 97.9 ± 3.7 %; ES = -0.15; 95 % CI: -1.8, 0.2, P = 0.5). No differences were found in digestive symptoms (abdominal pain, borborygmi, bloating, excess flatus, and stools/day) between cinnamon and placebo groups. CONCLUSIONS Cinnamon, a widely available and low-cost supplement, may contribute to better glucose control when added to the diet in people who have obesity-related prediabetes. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT04342624.
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Avocado Consumption Increased Skin Elasticity and Firmness in Women - A Pilot Study.
Henning, SM, Guzman, JB, Thames, G, Yang, J, Tseng, CH, Heber, D, Kim, J, Li, Z
Journal of cosmetic dermatology. 2022;(9):4028-4034
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Abstract
BACKGROUND Avocados are a rich dietary source of monounsaturated fatty acids, carotenoids, and phenolic compounds. Clinical studies have demonstrated that oral consumption of carotenoids improved skin aging. However, no studies have investigated whether oral intake of avocado will reduce skin aging. OBJECTIVES We therefore performed this pilot study to assess whether oral consumption of one avocado daily for 8 weeks can reduce skin aging in healthy overweight women assessing skin physical characteristics and resistance to UVB radiation. METHODS Thirty-nine female participants (age 27-73 years) with Fitzpatrick skin type II-IV were randomly assigned to consume either one avocado daily or continue habitual diet for 8 weeks. Facial skin elasticity, firmness, pigmentation, sebum, and hydration were determined using a cutometer on the forehead and under eye. Minimal erythema dose (MED) was determined by standardized protocol at inner arm. RESULTS Elasticity and firmness were increased at forehead comparing 8 weeks to baseline in the avocado group. Comparing avocado to control, change in firmness marker from baseline to week 8 indicated a significant increase in forehead skin firmness in the avocado group. We did not observe any change in hydration, pigmentation, sebum, and UVB resistance between the avocado and control group, although changes in melanin and erythema were observed in both groups over time. CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggest that daily oral avocado consumption may lead to enhanced elasticity and firmness of the facial skin in healthy women. Further studies of other skin locations are required to establish the connection between avocado consumption and skin aging.
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The Effect of Broccoli Sprout Extract on Seasonal Grass Pollen-Induced Allergic Rhinitis.
Yusin, J, Wang, V, Henning, SM, Yang, J, Tseng, CH, Thames, G, Arnold, I, Heber, D, Lee, RP, Sanavio, L, et al
Nutrients. 2021;(4)
Abstract
Patients exposed to pollutants are more likely to suffer from allergic rhinitis and may benefit from antioxidant treatment. Our study determined if patients diagnosed with grass-induced allergic rhinitis could benefit from broccoli sprout extract (BSE) supplementation. In total, 47 patients were confirmed with grass-induced allergic rhinitis and randomized to one of four groups: group 1 (nasal steroid spray + BSE), group 2 (nasal steroid spray + placebo tablet), group 3 (saline nasal spray + BSE) and group 4 (saline nasal spray + placebo tablet). Peak Nasal Inspiratory Flow (PNIF), Total Nasal Symptoms Scores (TNSS) and nasal mucus cytokine levels were analyzed in samples collected before and after the 3-week intervention. Comparing before and after the intervention, PNIF improved significantly when comparing Groups 1 and 2, vs. placebo, at various time points (p ≤ 0.05 at 5, 15, 60 and 240 min) following nasal challenge, while TNSS was only statistically significant at 5 (p = 0.03), 15 (p = 0.057) and 30 (p = 0.05) minutes. There were no statistically significant differences in various cytokine markers before and after the intervention. Combining nasal corticosteroid with BSE led to the most significant improvement in objective measures.
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Effects of branched-chain amino acids on glucose metabolism in obese, prediabetic men and women: a randomized, crossover study.
Woo, SL, Yang, J, Hsu, M, Yang, A, Zhang, L, Lee, RP, Gilbuena, I, Thames, G, Huang, J, Rasmussen, A, et al
The American journal of clinical nutrition. 2019;(6):1569-1577
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BACKGROUND Recent studies have shown that circulating branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) are elevated in obese, insulin-resistant individuals. However, it is not known if supplementation of additional BCAAs will further impair glucose metabolism. OBJECTIVES The aim of this pilot study was to determine the effects of BCAA supplementation on glucose metabolism in obese, prediabetic individuals. METHODS This is a randomized crossover study involving 12 obese individuals with prediabetes. Participants were randomly assigned to receive a daily supplement containing either 20 g BCAA or protein low in BCAAs for 4 wk with a 2-wk washout in between. At each visit, an oral-glucose-tolerance test (OGTT) was performed. Collected blood samples were used to measure glucose, insulin, and insulin resistance-associated biomarkers. RESULTS BCAA supplementation tended to decrease the plasma glucose area under the curve (AUC) measured by the OGTT (AUC percentage change from supplementation baseline, BCAA -3.3% ± 3%; low-BCAA: 10.0% ± 6%; P = 0.08). However, BCAA supplementation did not affect plasma insulin during OGTT challenge (BCAA: -3.9% ± 8%; low-BCAA: 14.8% ± 10%; P = 0.28). The plasma concentrations of nerve growth factor (BCAA: 4.0 ± 1 pg/mL; low-BCAA: 5.7 ± 1 pg/mL; P = 0.01) and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (BCAA: -0.4% ± 9%; low-BCAA: 29.0% ± 18%; P = 0.02) were significantly lowered by BCAA supplementation compared to low-BCAA control. Plasma interleukin 1β was significantly elevated by BCAA supplementation (BCAA: 231.4% ± 187%; low-BCAA: 20.6% ± 33%; P = 0.05). BCAA supplementation did not affect the circulating concentrations of the BCAAs leucine (BCAA: 9.0% ± 12%; low-BCAA: 9.2% ± 11%), valine (BCAA: 9.1% ± 11%; low-BCAA: 12.0% ± 13%), or isoleucine (BCAA: 2.5% ± 11%; low-BCAA: 7.3% ± 11%). CONCLUSIONS Our data suggest that BCAA supplementation did not impair glucose metabolism in obese, prediabetic subjects. Further studies are needed to confirm the results seen in the present study. This study was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT03715010.
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Mixed Spices at Culinary Doses Have Prebiotic Effects in Healthy Adults: A Pilot Study.
Lu, QY, Rasmussen, AM, Yang, J, Lee, RP, Huang, J, Shao, P, Carpenter, CL, Gilbuena, I, Thames, G, Henning, SM, et al
Nutrients. 2019;11(6)
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Plain language summary
An increasing body of evidence suggests that the gut microbiota has a profound impact on human health. While the microbiome of a healthy individual is relatively stable, gut microbial dynamics can be influenced by host lifestyle and dietary choices. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of mixed spices (cinnamon, oregano, ginger, black pepper, and cayenne pepper) at culinary doses consumed over 2 weeks in a standardized 5g capsule on the production of gut microbiota and short-chain fatty acids The study is a randomised, placebo-controlled, double-blind pilot study carried out with a total of 31 healthy women and men aged between 18 and 65. The subjects were randomly allocated to one of the two intervention groups. Results indicate that daily intake of 5g of mixed spices for 2 weeks in healthy subjects resulted in a significant reduction in the relative abundance of the phylum Firmicutes (bacteria), and a trend of increasing in phylum Bacteroidetes (bacteria) as compared with a matched control group. Authors conclude that a mixture of spices at culinary doses affects the composition of gut microbiota.
Abstract
Spices were used as food preservatives prior to the advent of refrigeration, suggesting the possibility of effects on microbiota. Previous studies have shown prebiotic activities in animals and in vitro, but there has not been a demonstration of prebiotic or postbiotic effects at culinary doses in humans. In this randomized placebo-controlled study, we determined in twenty-nine healthy adults the effects on the gut microbiota of the consumption daily of capsules containing 5 g of mixed spices at culinary doses by comparison to a matched control group consuming a maltodextrin placebo capsule. The 16S ribosomal RNA sequencing data were used for microbial characterization. Spice consumption resulted in a significant reduction in Firmicutes abundance (p < 0.033) and a trend of enrichment in Bacteroidetes (p < 0.097) compared to placebo group. Twenty-six operational taxonomic units (OTUs) were different between the spice and placebo groups after intervention. Furthermore, there was a significant negative correlation between fecal short-chain fatty acid propionate concentration and Firmicutes abundance in spice intervention group (p < 0.04). The production of individual fecal short-chain fatty acid was not significantly changed by spice consumption in this study. Mixed spices consumption significantly modified gut microbiota, suggesting a prebiotic effect of spice consumption at culinary doses.
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Protein-enriched meal replacements do not adversely affect liver, kidney or bone density: an outpatient randomized controlled trial.
Li, Z, Treyzon, L, Chen, S, Yan, E, Thames, G, Carpenter, CL
Nutrition journal. 2010;:72
Abstract
BACKGROUND There is concern that recommending protein-enriched meal replacements as part of a weight management program could lead to changes in biomarkers of liver or renal function and reductions in bone density. This study was designed as a placebo-controlled clinical trial utilizing two isocaloric meal plans utilizing either a high protein-enriched (HP) or a standard protein (SP) meal replacement in an outpatient weight loss program. SUBJECTS/METHODS 100 obese men and women over 30 years of age with a body mass index (BMI) between 27 to 40 kg/m2 were randomized to one of two isocaloric weight loss meal plans 1). HP group: providing 2.2 g protein/kg of lean body mass (LBM)/day or 2). SP group: providing 1.1 g protein/kg LBM/day. Meal replacement (MR) was used twice daily (one meal, one snack) for 3 months and then once a day for 9 months. Body weight, lipid profiles, liver function, renal function and bone density were measured at baseline and 12 months. RESULTS Seventy subjects completed the study. Both groups lost weight (HP -4.29 ± 5.90 kg vs. SP -4.66 ± 6.91 kg, p < 0.01) and there was no difference in weight loss observed between the groups at one year. There was no significant change noted in liver function [AST (HP -2.07 ± 10.32 U/L, p = 0.28; SP 0.27 ± 6.67 U/L, p = 0.820), ALT (HP -1.03 ± 10.08 U/L, p = 0.34; SP -2.6 ± 12.51 U/L, p = 0.24), bilirubin (HP 0.007 ± 0.33, U/L, p = 0.91; SP 0.07 ± 0.24 U/L, p = 0.120), alkaline phosphatase (HP 2.00 ± 9.07 U/L, p = 0.240; SP -2.12 ± 11.01 U/L, p = 0.280)], renal function [serum creatinine (HP 0.31 ± 1.89 mg/dL, p = 0.380; SP -0.05 ± 0.15 mg/dL, p = 0.060), urea nitrogen (HP 1.33 ± 4.68 mg/dL, p = 0.130; SP -0.24 ± 3.03 mg/dL, p = 0.650), 24 hour urine creatinine clearance (HP -0.02 ± 0.16 mL/min, p = 0.480; SP 1.18 ± 7.53 mL/min, p = 0.400), and calcium excretion (HP -0.41 ± 9.48 mg/24 hours, p = 0.830; SP -0.007 ± 6.76 mg/24 hours, p = 0.990)] or in bone mineral density by DEXA (HP 0.04 ± 0.19 g/cm2, p = 0.210; SP -0.03 ± 0.17 g/cm2, p = 0.320) in either group over one year. CONCLUSIONS These studies demonstrate that protein-enriched meals replacements as compared to standard meal replacements recommended for weight management do not have adverse effects on routine measures of liver function, renal function or bone density at one year.
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A controlled trial of protein enrichment of meal replacements for weight reduction with retention of lean body mass.
Treyzon, L, Chen, S, Hong, K, Yan, E, Carpenter, CL, Thames, G, Bowerman, S, Wang, HJ, Elashoff, R, Li, Z
Nutrition journal. 2008;:23
Abstract
BACKGROUND While high protein diets have been shown to improve satiety and retention of lean body mass (LBM), this study was designed to determine effects of a protein-enriched meal replacement (MR) on weight loss and LBM retention by comparison to an isocaloric carbohydrate-enriched MR within customized diet plans utilizing MR to achieve high protein or standard protein intakes. METHODS Single blind, placebo-controlled, randomized outpatient weight loss trial in 100 obese men and women comparing two isocaloric meal plans utilizing a standard MR to which was added supplementary protein or carbohydrate powder. MR was used twice daily (one meal, one snack). One additional meal was included in the meal plan designed to achieve individualized protein intakes of either 1) 2.2 g protein/kg of LBM per day [high protein diet (HP)] or 2) 1.1 g protein/kg LBM/day standard protein diet (SP). LBM was determined using bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA). Body weight, body composition, and lipid profiles were measured at baseline and 12 weeks. RESULTS Eighty-five subjects completed the study. Both HP and SP MR were well tolerated, with no adverse effects. There were no differences in weight loss at 12 weeks (-4.19 +/- 0.5 kg for HP group and -3.72 +/- 0.7 kg for SP group, p > 0.1). Subjects in the HP group lost significantly more fat weight than the SP group (HP = -1.65 +/- 0.63 kg; SP = -0.64 +/- 0.79 kg, P = 0.05) as estimated by BIA. There were no significant differences in lipids nor fasting blood glucose between groups, but within the HP group a significant decrease in cholesterol and LDL cholesterol was noted at 12 weeks. This was not seen in the SP group. CONCLUSION Higher protein MR within a higher protein diet resulted in similar overall weight loss as the standard protein MR plan over 12 weeks. However, there was significantly more fat loss in the HP group but no significant difference in lean body mass. In this trial, subject compliance with both the standard and protein-enriched MR strategy for weight loss may have obscured any effect of increased protein on weight loss demonstrated in prior weight loss studies using whole food diets.
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Liquid meal replacements and glycemic control in obese type 2 diabetes patients.
Yip, I, Go, VL, DeShields, S, Saltsman, P, Bellman, M, Thames, G, Murray, S, Wang, HJ, Elashoff, R, Heber, D
Obesity research. 2001;:341S-347S
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Although weight management is an important component in the treatment of type 2 diabetes, there has been concern about the use of liquid meal replacements (MRs) in treating obese patients with type 2 diabetes because of the sugar content of the MRs. The goal of this study was to evaluate the safety and feasibility of using MRs for weight loss in obese patients with type 2 diabetes. RESEARCH METHODS AND PROCEDURES Seventy-five subjects with type 2 diabetes, treated only with oral agents, were recruited for this 12-week clinical study. Subjects were randomized into three groups using either a MR containing lactose, fructose, and sucrose, a MR in which fructose and sucrose were replaced with oligosaccharides (sugar-free Slim-Fast), or an exchange diet plan (EDP) using the proportion of macronutrients recommended by the American Diabetes Association. RESULTS Fifty-seven patients (41 MR and 16 EDP) finished the study. None developed serious adverse effects, including major hypoglycemic reactions. Weight losses in the MR 1 and MR 2 groups were comparable (6.4% and 6.7%, respectively) and greater than the weight loss in the EDP group (4.9%). Fasting glucose level was significantly reduced in the MR group compared with the EDP group (p = 0.012). There was a significant reduction in the MR group in total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol that was not seen in the EDP group. DISCUSSION We have shown that liquid MRs are a safe and effective weight loss tool for obese subjects with type 2 diabetes, and can result in improvements in body weight, glucose, insulin, hemoglobin A1c and lipid levels.