The effect of synbiotics pomegranate juice on cardiovascular risk factors in PCOS patients: a randomized, triple-blinded, controlled trial

PURPOSE

Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is one of the most common metabolic and endocrine disorders. Functional foods like pomegranate and probiotics are those that are considered to have beneficial effects on metabolic diseases beyond their basic nutritional value. So, we aimed to evaluate the effect of synbiotic pomegranate juice (SPJ) on cardiovascular risk factors on PCOS patients.

METHODS

This was a randomized, triple-blinded, 8-week trial. Participants were randomly assigned to receive 300 mL/day of pomegranate juice (PJ), synbiotic beverage (SB), synbiotic pomegranate juice (SPJ), or placebo beverage (PB). Biochemical indices (lipid profile, Total Antioxidant Capacity (TAC), Malondialdehyde (MDA), high sensitive C-Reactive Protein (hs-CRP)) and blood pressure were assessed before and after the intervention.

RESULTS

Participants in the PJ, SB, and SPJ groups experienced improvement in their lipid profile, oxidative stress, inflammation, and blood pressure during the time. Compared to placebo, Total Cholesterol (TC) was lower in the SB group (P < 0.01), LDL-c was lower in the SPJ and SB groups (P < 0.01), and HDL-c was higher in the SPJ and PJ groups (P < 0.01). With regards to oxidative stress and inflammation, when compared with placebo, MDA was lower in the SPJ, SB, and PJ groups (P < 0.001), TAC was increased in the SPJ and PJ groups (P[Formula: see text] 0.001), and hs-CRP was decreased in the PJ group (P = 0.02). Blood pressure (BP) was lower in the SPJ and PJ groups compared to placebo (P < 0.001; P < 0.01, respectively).

CONCLUSIONS

Consuming daily SPJ for 8 weeks improved metabolic, oxidative, inflammatory, and BP outcomes in females with PCOS. This trial was registered in the Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials (IRCT20170207032439N2).

The effect of daily fortified yogurt consumption on weight loss in adults with metabolic syndrome: A 10-week randomized controlled trial

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Obesity is a complex and multifaceted condition. Thus, functional foods need investigation as novel adjunct treatments for obesity. The objective was to determine the effects of daily consumption of a fortified yogurt (FY) on weight loss in overweight and obese patients with metabolic syndrome on a caloric-restricted diet.

METHODS AND RESULTS

This was a randomized, double-blind, 10-week study. Participants were randomly allocated to two groups receiving either two servings (2 × 250 g)/day of FY with whey protein, calcium, vitamin D, prebiotic fibre and probiotic cultures (n = 44) or a low-fat plain yogurt (PY) (n = 43). All participants were put on a calorie-restricted diet throughout the 10-week study. Body composition and biochemical indices were assessed before and after the intervention. Body mass decreased by 4.3 ± 1.9 kg and 5.1 ± 3.0 kg in the PY and FY groups, respectively, following the 10-week intervention. Compared to PY, consumption of FY resulted in a significant reduction in body fat mass (FM) (p = 0.023), body fat percentage (p = 0.028), waist circumference (p = 0.002), homoeostasis model of assessment-insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) (p = 0.025), triglyceride concentration (p = 0.003), and a significant increase in total 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) concentration (p < 0.001), high density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C) (p = 0.009) and quantitative insulin sensitivity check index (QUICKI) (0.022). Participants consuming the FY lost less fat-free mass (FFM) compared to the PY group (Δ = -0.9 ± 3.5 kg vs. Δ = -2.0 ± 2.7 kg; p = 0.025).

CONCLUSIONS

Consuming FY for 10-weeks improved body composition and metabolic parameters, while on a caloric-restricted diet. Further research is needed to elucidate whether FY can be used as a preventative strategy for metabolic syndrome in obese persons.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

www.irct.ir (IRCT2017050633836N1).

Association of eating while television viewing and overweight/obesity among children and adolescents: a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies

The objective of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to examine the association between eating while television viewing (TVV) and overweight or obesity in children (<18 years). A systematic search of PubMed, Scopus, Web of science, PreQuest and Embase was conducted up to April 2017; pooled odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated using a random effects model. Of 4,357 articles identified, 20 observational studies met inclusion criteria (n = 84,825) and 8 of these 20 (n = 41,617) reported OR. Eating while TVV was positively associated with obesity-related anthropometric measurements in 15 studies (75%). The meta-analysis revealed that eating while TVV was positively associated with being overweight (OR = 1.28; 95% CI: 1.17, 1.39). Subgroup analyses showed similar positive associations in both girls and boys, as well as in children who ate dinner while TVV. There was no evidence of publication bias. The present systematic review and meta-analysis suggests that eating while TVV could be a risk factor for being overweight or obese in childhood and adolescents.