Multi-ingredient supplement shows 'significant' weight management potential

25-Oct-2023 - Last updated on 25-Oct-2023 at 14:41 GMT

A seven-ingredient supplement resulted in significant weight and fat mass losses for overweight and/or obese participants. The clinical trial also found improvements in molecular markers of liver health and metabolism.

The multi-ingredient supplement (MIS) contained forskolin, green coffee bean extract, green tea extract, beet root extract, α-lipoic acid, vitamin E and CoQ10. Writing in the journal Nutrients, scientists from McMaster University Medical Center and Exerkine Corp. noted they chose the natural ingredients to help “counteract the cycle of ROS-associated weight gain, mitochondrial dysfunction, and subsequent inflammation.”

The seven ingredients

Coenzyme Q10 has been shown to lower lipid peroxidation and rescue pro-oxidative markers in serum. Vitamin E and α-lipoic acid can help facilitate improved antioxidant status. Beetroot extract is rich in nitrates and antioxidants and can improve efficiency of mitochondria.

The other ingredients in the supplement have been shown in previous studies to stimulate weight loss (forskolin, green coffee bean and green tea extracts).

“While these ingredients have often been examined individually, there is limited utilization regarding the potential for a multi-ingredient supplementation strategy targeting the multiple pathways known to be involved in the pathogenesis of obesity,” the authors wrote.

Trial Methods

The clinical trial had 55 participants who were either overweight or obese and between 18 and 50 years of age. The double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial lasted 12 weeks.

The researchers analyzed bodyweight and fat mass changes along with plasma markers for obesity, blood pressure, resting energy metabolism, fatty liver disease biomarkers and physical performance.

“Following the 12 weeks of MIS supplementation, weight and body composition significantly improved, concomitant with improvements in molecular markers of liver health and metabolism,” the authors wrote.

The MIS participants had decreased weight from baseline while the placebo group tended to have an increase. The authors found a similar result for fat mass, with those who took the supplement having decreased fat mass compared with the placebo group having increased fat mass.

“Despite this significant reduction in weight and fat mass, we observe no overall reduction in FFM or bone mineral density,” they wrote. The supplement resulted in loss of body weight through primarily reducing fat mass while preserving fat-free mass.

The study also showed an improvement in blood biochemical outcomes, including a reduction in miRNAs associated with liver dysfunction, inflammation and obesity.

“Taken together, our findings suggest that a seven-component, multi-ingredient nutritional supplement (MIS) results in significant weight and total fat mass loss in comparison with PLA in overweight and/or obese men and women.”

Mark Tarnopolsky, corresponding author on the new paper, is the founder, CEO, and CSO of Exerkine Corporation, which describes itself as a "nutra-pharmaceutical company" based on "supplements, exercise-derived factors (‘exerkines’), and extracellular vesicles to treat genetic disorders, chronic diseases, and aging." The formulation used in this study is protected by a Canadian patent (CA 3050823).

Source: Nutrients
2023, 15(17), 3693; doi: 10.3390/nu15173693
“Novel Multi-Ingredient Supplement Facilitates Weight Loss and Improves Body Composition in Overweight and Obese Individuals: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial”
Authors: J.P. Nederveen, et al.