Background: Chromium is an essential trace element and nutritional supplement that has garnered interest for use as a weight loss aid. Objective: This trial assesses the effects of chromium picolinate supplementation, alone and combined with nutritional education, on weight loss in apparently healthy overweight adults. Design: This was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of 80 otherwise healthy, overweight adults assessed at baseline for central adiposity measured by computerized tomography. Subjects were randomly assigned to daily ingestion of 1000 mg of chromium picolinate or placebo for 24 weeks. All subjects received passive nutritional education at the 12-week point in both the intervention and control groups. Outcomes include weight, height, blood pressure, percent body fat, serum, and urinary biomarkers. Results: At baseline, both the chromium and placebo groups had similar mean body mass index (BMI) (chromium ¼ 36 AE 6.7 kg=m 2 versus placebo ¼ 36.1 AE 7.6 kg=m 2 ; p ¼ 0.98). After 12 weeks, no change was seen in BMI in the intervention as compared to placebo (chromium ¼ 0.3 AE 0.8 kg=m 2 versus placebo ¼ 0.0 AE 0.4 kg=m 2 ; p ¼ 0.07). No change was seen in BMI after 24 weeks in the intervention as compared to placebo (chromium ¼ 0.1 AE 0.2 kg=m 2 versus placebo ¼ 0.0 AE 0.5 kg=m 2 ; p ¼ 0.81). Variation in central adiposity did not affect any outcome measures. Conclusions: Supplementation of 1000 mg of chromium picolinate alone, and in combination with nutritional education, did not affect weight loss in this population of overweight adults. Response to chromium did not vary with central adiposity.

There was no statistically significant difference in serum tHcy concentrations between SL and PO groups either before or after treatment, substantiating the idea that there is no difference in efficacy between the two methods of vitamin complex delivery.

Background and ObjectiveDehydrated fruit and vegetable concentrates provide an accessible form of phytonutrient supplementation that may offer cardioprotective effects. This study assessed the effects of two blends of encapsulated juice powder concentrates (with and without added berry powders) on endothelial function in persons with metabolic syndrome, a risk factor for type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.MethodsRandomized, double blind, placebo controlled crossover clinical trial with three treatment arms. 64 adults with metabolic syndrome were enrolled and received 8-week sequences of each blend of the concentrates and placebo. The primary outcome measure was change in endothelial function (assessed as flow-mediated dilatation of the brachial artery) 2 hr after consuming a 75 g glucose load, after 8-weeks of daily consumption (sustained) or 2 hr after consumption of a single dose (acute). Secondary outcome measures included plasma glucose, serum insulin, serum lipids, and body weight.ResultsNo significant between-group differences in endothelial function with daily treatment for 8 weeks were seen. No other significant treatment effects were discerned in glucose, insulin, lipids, and weight.ConclusionEncapsulated fruit and vegetable juice powder concentrates did not alter insulin or glucose measures in this sample of adults with metabolic syndrome.Trial Registrationclinicaltrials.gov NCT01224743

We show experimentally that room-temperature ferromagnetism can be induced in ZnO/ZnS core/shell nanoparticles without any magnetic components. This ferromagnetism could be attributed to p–p coupling interactions between S 3p and O 2p electrons arising from the redistribution of charges between Zn and O or S atoms. Our present findings possibly open up a new way for introducing magnetism in semiconductor-based “spintronics” devices.

Dehydrated fruit and vegetable concentrates provide an accessible form of phytonutrient supplementation that may offer cardioprotective effects. This study assessed the effects of encapsulated fruit and vegetable juice powder concentrates on endothelial function (EF) and cardiac risk markers in subjects with metabolic syndrome (MS) in a randomized, double blind, placebo controlled crossover trial. 64 adults with MS were enrolled and received 8‐week sequences of two different blends of the concentrates and placebo. The primary outcome measure was change in EF 2hr after consuming a 75g glucose load, after 8‐weeks of daily consumption or 2hr after consumption of a single dose. Secondary outcome measures included plasma glucose, serum insulin, serum lipids, and weight. A single dose of fruit, vegetable, and berry mixtures appeared to preserve EF (p=0.0549). There were, however, no significant between group differences in EF with daily treatment for 8 weeks. No other significant treatment effects were discerned in glucose, insulin, lipids, and weight. Daily supplementation with fruit and vegetable concentrates did not improve EF or other cardiac risk measures in this population of adults with MS in whom baseline EF was fairly normal. A blend of fruit, vegetable, and berry mixtures appeared to mitigate adverse effects of an acute glucose load on EF, a finding which warrants further investigation.