White Sweet Potato as Meal Replacement for Overweight White-Collar Workers: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Abstract

Overweight and obesity are a global concern. Meal replacements (MRs) are portion- and calorie-controlled meals, which make the food environment part of an individual’s weight loss regimen. White sweet potato (WSP; Ipomoea batatas L.), used in traditional medicine in Brazil, Japan, and Taiwan, is a healthy carbohydrate source. In this randomized controlled trial, we assessed the effects of a WSP formula on body weight management in 58 white-collar workers through MR to elucidate the effects of this WSP-MR on factors leading to overweight. The participants consumed either two packs a day for a total of 132 g of WSP (WSP-MR group) or a normal diet daily (non-WSP group) for eight weeks. After eight weeks, body weight, body fat, body mass index, wrist circumference, thigh circumference, calf circumference, mid-arm circumference, and triceps skinfolds decreased significantly in both the groups. Moreover, the WSP-MR group demonstrated a 5% decrease in body weight, body fat, body mass index, and mid-arm circumference and a 3.5% decrease in glycated hemoglobin levels (p < 0.05). The treatment was well tolerated, without side effects or adverse events. Thus, our WSP formula as an MR can facilitate individual weight loss and thus has commercial application in the food industry.

White sweet potato ameliorates hyperglycemia and regenerates pancreatic islets in diabetic mice

“…In humans, RS improves insulin resistance after chronic feeding through a mechanism involving changes to both adipose tissue and muscle metabolism (46). Additionally, we employed in vitro enzyme-digested WSP-T, which contained 0.36 ± 0.05 resistant starch and 48.0 ± 1.8 mg/100 mg slowly digestible starch (29). Therefore, the tuber active substances with antidiabetic effects, in relation to in vivo digestibility and glucose release rate, warrant an additional study.…”

“…In our previous clinical trial, meal replacement therapy using whole tuber of WSP Tainung No. 10 (TNG10) -a new WSP cultivar that can provide 15.5 g of fiber per 100 g and has an average glycemic index of 36.2 -was found to reduce energy and glucose absorption in the intestines (29). WSP incorporated into enteral formulas also can improve nutrition status and glycemic control in elderly diabetic patients (30).…”

Evaluation of white sweet potato tube-feeding formula in elderly diabetic patients: a randomized controlled trial

“…In clinical patients with T2DM, high doses of WSP (4 g) before breakfast, lunch, and dinner for 6 weeks reduced fasting plasma glucose, total cholesterol, and LDL-C levels [14]. Our previously study also showed that WSP meal replacements can facilitate individual weight loss and lower fasting blood glucose in overweight workers [15]. Ozaki et al showed that white sweet potato is a (1→3)-β-D-galactan highly branched at O-6 with (1→6)-β-D-galactan, in which the branched chains are substituted at the O-3 position with α-L-Araf-(1→and α-L-Araf-(1→5)-α-L-Araf-(1→and at the O-6 position typically with α-L-Rhap-(1→4)-β-D-GlcAp-(1→as terminating groups [10], resulting in significantly decreased plasma glucose in spontaneous diabetic mice [38].…”

“…In patients with T2DM, the tuberous root of WSP effectively reduces insulin resistance and fibrinogen, fasting plasma glucose, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels, but increases adiponectin levels [12–14]. In a recent study by our team, the WSP meal replacement demonstrated a 5% decrease in body weight, body fat, body mass index, and mid-arm circumference and a 3.5% decrease in glycated hemoglobin levels in overweight subjects [15].…”

Targeting Metabolic Consequences of Insulin Resistance in Polycystic Ovary Syndrome by D-chiro-inositol and Emerging Nutraceuticals: A Focused Review

“…After five months of treatment, the study has shown an increase in adiponectin associated with the improvement of insulin sensitivity and glycated haemoglobin in patients with T2D [72]. In addition, a recent clinical trial by Shih et al demonstrated that Ipomoea batatas effectively reduces glycated haemoglobin [73]. Several clinical data from small intervention trials reveal that the extracts of banaba exhibit significant glucose-lowering effects in humans.…”