Over a decade of intense research in the field of obesity has led to the knowledge that chronic, excessive adipose tissue expansion leads to an increase in the risk for CVD, type 2 diabetes mellitus and cancer. This is primarily thought to stem from the low-grade, systemic inflammatory response syndrome that characterises adipose tissue in obesity, and this itself is thought to arise from the complex interplay of factors including metabolic endotoxaemia, increased plasma NEFA, hypertrophic adipocytes and localised hypoxia. Plasma concentrations of vitamins and antioxidants are lower in obese individuals than in the non-obese, which is hypothesised to negatively affect the development of inflammation and disease in obesity. This paper provides a review of the current literature investigating the potential of nutraceuticals to ameliorate the development of oxidative stress and inflammation in obesity, thereby limiting the onset of obesity complications. Research has found nutraceuticals able to positively modulate the activity of adipocyte cell lines and further positive effects have been found in other aspects of pathogenic obesity. While their ability to affect weight loss is still controversial, it is clear that they have a great potential to reverse the development of overweight and obesity-related comorbidities; this, however, still requires much research especially that utilising well-structured randomised controlled trials.

An increase in abdominal adiposity is linked with the development of a low-grade systemic inflammatory response, characterised by altered adipokine secretion and increased plasma oxidative stress. This in turn, is thought to have a role in the increased risk of T2DM and CVD associated with obesity and interventions are therefore sought which are able to modulate plasma adipokine concentrations, re-establishing a healthy balance.It was hypothesised that consumption of a pomegranate extract (PE) for 28 d by a healthy, overweight/obese (BMI = 29.2 SD 3.1; Age = 37.1 SD 10.2) population would alter circulating adipokines and plasma total antioxidant status. A randomised, placebo-controlled, single-blind crossover design was used, with a 14 d washout period. Measurements were taken at baseline and 28 d for each intervention, within 24 hours of the last capsule being taken. No significant changes in energy or macronutrient intake ( Fig. A & B), assessed using a 3 d diet diary, BMI, waist circumference or waist:hip ratio were noted for either treatment group. Consumption of PE for 28 d did not significantly increase plasma antioxidant levels as measured by the ferric reducing antioxidant capacity (FRAP) ( ) 1) or oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) (2) , nor did it affect oxidative stress as measured by plasma thiobarbituric reactive substances assay (TBARS) (3) . TNFa, IL-6, adiponectin and leptin (RnD Systems, UK) did not significantly change for either treatment.Change from baseline IL-6 (pg/ml) TNFa (pg/ml) Leptin (ng/ml) Adiponection (mg/ml) TBARS Mean

No abstract