The components of roasted or green coffee beans that promote abdominal fat reduction are not clear. We investigated the effects of daily consumption of coffee enriched in chlorogenic acids (CGA) on abdominal fat area in a randomized, double-blind, parallel controlled trial. Healthy, overweight men and women (n = 150, body mass index (BMI) ≥25 to <30 kg/m2) were randomly allocated to high-CGA (369 mg CGA/serving) or control (35 mg CGA/serving) coffee groups. Instant coffee was consumed once daily for 12 weeks, with four-week pre- and post-observation periods. Abdominal fat area and anthropometric measurements were analyzed at baseline and at four, eight, and 12 weeks, and 142 subjects completed the trial. Visceral fat area (VFA), total abdominal fat area (TFA), body weight, and waist circumference significantly decreased in the CGA group compared with the control group, with a group × time interaction (p < 0.001, p = 0.001, p = 0.025, and p = 0.001, respectively). Changes in VFA and TFA from baseline to 12 weeks were significantly greater in the CGA group than in the control group (−9.0 ± 13.9 cm2 vs. −1.0 ± 14.3 cm2, p < 0.001; −13.8 ± 22.9 cm2 vs. −2.0 ± 16.2 cm2, p < 0.001). No severe adverse events occurred. Consumption of high-CGA coffee for 12 weeks by overweight adults might lower VFA, TFA, BMI, and waist circumference.

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BackgroundObesity has become a great problem all over the world. We repeatedly screened to find an effective food to treat obesity and discovered that rosehip extract shows potent anti-obesity effects. Investigations in mice have demonstrated that rosehip extract inhibits body weight gain and decreases visceral fat. Thus, the present study examined the effect of rosehip extract on human body fat in preobese subjects.MethodsWe conducted a 12-week, single-center, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study of 32 subjects who had a body mass index of ≥25 but <30. The subjects were assigned to two random groups, and they received one tablet of placebo or rosehip that contained 100 mg of rosehip extract once each day for 12 weeks with no dietary intervention. Abdominal fat area and body fat percent were measured as primary outcomes. The other outcomes were body weight and body mass index.ResultsAbdominal total fat area, abdominal visceral fat area, body weight, and body mass index decreased significantly in the rosehip group at week 12 compared with their baseline levels (P<0.01) after receiving the rosehip tablet intake, and the decreases in these parameters were significantly higher when compared with those in the placebo group. Additionally, body fat percent tended to decrease compared with the placebo group and their baseline level. Moreover, the abdominal subcutaneous fat area was significantly lower in the rosehip group than in the placebo group at week 12 after the initiation of intake (P<0.05). In addition, there were no abnormalities, subjective symptoms, and findings that may indicate clinical problems during the study period.ConclusionThese results suggest that rosehip extract may be a good candidate food material for preventing obesity.

PurposeObesity is a serious problem, which is now a worldwide health problem. Kaempferia parviflora extract (KPE) exhibits anti-obesity effects in animals. However, as no clinical trials have evaluated the anti-obesity effects of KPE in humans, we examined the effects of KPE in reducing abdominal fat in overweight and preobese Japanese subjects.Materials and methodsA 12-week, single-center, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial was conducted. Seventy-six subjects (males and females aged 20 to <65 years) with a body mass index ≥24 and <30 kg/m2 were randomly assigned into two groups. The subjects in each group ingested one capsule of placebo or active KPE (containing 150 mg of KPE) once daily for 12 weeks. The primary outcome was reduction in visceral fat area as determined by computed tomography scanning. The key secondary outcomes were reductions in subcutaneous fat area and total fat area. Subgroup analysis was also performed in healthy subjects without dyslipidemia, hypertension, or hyperglycemia. The safety of KPE ingestion was also evaluated.ResultsCompared with the placebo group, the active KPE group exhibited significant reduction in abdominal fat area (visceral, subcutaneous, and total fat) and triglyceride levels after 12 weeks. Subgroup analyses demonstrated a significant reduction in abdominal fat area and triglyceride levels in healthy subjects compared with the placebo group after 12 weeks. Neither group exhibited adverse events related to the test foods or clinically relevant abnormal changes in physical, biochemical, or hematologic parameters, or in urinalysis results and medical interview.ConclusionDaily ingestion of KPE safely reduces body fat, particularly abdominal fat, in Japanese overweight and preobese subjects.

The anti-hypertensive effect of processed rice bran (PRB) was recently reported, for which the novel peptide Leu-Arg-Ala (LRA) was identified as the functional substance. The purpose of this study was to assess the anti-hypertensive effects of a rice bran supplement containing PRB in individuals with high-normal blood pressure (systolic blood pressure (SBP): 130–139 mmHg and/or diastolic blood pressure (DBP): 85–89 mmHg) or grade 1 hypertension (SBP: 140–159 mmHg and/or DBP: 90–99 mmHg). One hundred individuals with high-normal blood pressure or grade 1 hypertension were recruited to participate in this double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study. Participants were randomly allocated to the placebo group (n = 50) or the test group (n = 50). Each group took four test tablets (43 μg LRA/day) or four placebo tablets daily. The decrease in blood pressure in the test group compared with the placebo group was the primary outcome. Adverse events were recorded and hematological/urinary parameters measured to determine the safety of the supplement, which was the secondary outcome. In total, 87 participants completed the study. The SBP of the test group at 12 weeks was significantly lower than that of the placebo group (p = 0.0497). No serious adverse events were observed. Daily consumption of a rice bran supplement containing PRB can safely improve mildly elevated blood pressure.