Weight Wellness

Approximately 2 out of 5 Americans live with excess weight and the challenges associated with that condition. Weight wellness is important to overall health because excess can lead to many other serious issues, including heart health, blood pressure, fatty liver, asthma, blood sugar, PCOS, and osteoarthritis. Besides its potential to disrupt healthiness, excess weight makes many things harder. It inhibits athletic performance, lowers self-esteem, and zaps energy.

In these studies, garcinia, polyphenols, and flavonoids shine. Remember, weight wellness doesn’t happen without proper exercise and eating habits. Before you begin, discuss any weight loss or exercise plan with your doctor to help you choose the best activities for your health and to avoid doing injury to yourself.

In an effort to find effective treatments for overweight and obesity, doctors looked to Southeast Asia for the flowering plant, garcinia cambogia (GC), and a to natural fiber supplement, glucomannan (GNN). This study covered 136 adults aged at least 18, with a body-mass index score greater than 25, who had type 2 diabetes, unbalanced lipids, and/or high blood pressure.

Participants took 500 mg each of GC and GNN, twice per day. Doctors prescribed a Mediterranean-type diet, and encouraged participants to drink lots of water. Beginning at three months, and continuing through six months, GC and GNN reduced weight, abdominal fat, and fat mass, and increased the basic metabolic rate. Triglycerides, glucose, and cholesterol levels also improved.

_{Reference: Journal of Herbal Medicine; 2021, Vol. 26, 100424}

Plant-based polyphenols improve physical, mental health

Being overweight and obese affects the quality of life, which antioxidant polyphenols abundant in a Mediterranean-type diet may be able to improve. In this study, 72 overweight and obese people took a placebo or 900 mg of a botanically sourced polyphenol-rich supplement containing 15 percent flavonoids, 16 mg of vitamin B3, and 45 mg of caffeine per day.

After 16 weeks, while there were no significant improvements for placebo, those taking polyphenols lost an average of 2.4 pounds, most of which was fat mass located in the abdominal area. The polyphenol group also reported an 11.2 percent improvement in physical health, and a 4.1 percent increase in mental health, with less pain, greater physical activity, and a sense of vitality contributing most to these benefits.

_{Reference: Nutrients; 2021, Vol. 13, No. 2, 492}

Flavonoids reduce metabolic fatty liver disease

Excess fat in the liver due to an imbalanced diet can lead to metabolic-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD), formerly known as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. In this study doctors evaluated 4,431 participants from the long-term National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey, 41.9 percent of whom had MAFLD.

Overall, those with the lowest levels of flavonoids in the diet were more likely to have MAFLD; but higher levels of two flavonoids in particular—anthocyanidin and isoflavone—reduced chances for MAFLD most. Those with higher flavonoid levels were also more likely to have lower levels of triglycerides, higher HDL, healthier body-mass index scores, lower levels of the liver-damage-signaling enzyme ALT, and lower levels of the inflammatory factor, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein.

_{Reference: Frontiers in Nutrition; December 2022, Article No. 1074494}

BetsyHealth Note: This article is for educational purposes only. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, prevent or cure any disease. Consult your healthcare provider before trying a supplement, especially if you have a medical condition, including being pregnant or nursing, take prescription or over-the-counter medications, or are planning on having surgery.

Article copyright 2023 by Natural Insights of Wellbeing. All rights reserved. Used with permission.

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