According to a recent study from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington1, there are more than 2 billion overweight people worldwide, with the U.S. paving the way. Alarmingly, obesity has tripled in children and young adults in countries like Indonesia and China. These findings put these countries’ youth at risk for developing many other related health problems like diabetes, heart diseases and more.
Therefore, control of body weight represents one of the most relevant targets in the management of the global problem of overweight and, consequently, all the health risks connected with this condition. A balanced programme of dietary intervention combined with physical activity still represents a major leverage in weight control. However, due to the shift to fast and hectic lifestyles, it can be difficult to follow this apparently simple approach.
Botanical derivatives have emerged to support in this direction with a number of applications in the health food market, where edible plants represent a very rich source, mainly as standardised extracts with clinical research and substantiation to ensure the maximum safety and efficacy.
Two clinically proven extracts by Indena serve well as healthy weight management strategy and metabolic support: the standardised bean extract Beanblock® and the Phytosome® formulation of green tea extract Greenselect®. By focusing on the optimisation of carbohydrates and fat absorption, utilization and storage, these two botanical extracts provide ways to support varied aspects of metabolic health.
Beanblock is a purified bean extract obtained from a single and specific Italian bean variety, standardised in groups of proteins with three different approaches: enzymatic, chemical and biological. Beanblock, employed as a supplement before a mixed Mediterranean balanced meal, supported healthy glucose metabolism in healthy volunteers2. This standardised extract of Phaseolus vulgaris supports a longer duration of satiety and normal appetite control, and can therefore help to modulate the metabolic process through appetite and blood sugar levels control. In a second clinical study3, Beanblock, in association with a health management plan, was useful for weight control in mildly overweight healthy subjects.
Greenselect Phytosome is a formulation of a standardised decaffeinated green tea extract (Greenselect) and phospholipids, enabling enhanced bioavailability 4. Its active constituents are mostly represented by a group of compounds with a flavan-3-olic structure and generally defined as green tea catechins. Greenselect Phytosome has been extensively studied for its antioxidant activity and for its weight loss support. A 20 percent increase in antioxidative capacity was observed in volunteers treated with Greenselect Phytosome. GreenSelect has also been studied for its effects on metabolic syndrome and body composition, in conjunction with diet and lifestyle changes. In both clinical trials, Greenselect exhibited a great beneficial activity regarding metabolic health markers4-6.
References:
1. Health Effects of Overweight and Obesity in 195 Countries over 25 Years - The GBD 2015 Obesity Collaborators N Engl J Med 2017; 377:13-27 July 6, 2017 - DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa1614362.
2. Battezzati et al, British Journal of Nutrition, 2013.
3. Belcaro 2014 Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci. 2014 Oct;18(20):3120-5.
4. Pietta, P., Simonetti, P., Gardana, C., Brusamolino, A., Morazzoni, P., & Bombardelli, E. (1998). Relationship between rate and extent of catechin absorption and plasma antioxidant status. Iubmb Life. doi:10.1080/15216549800204442
5. Menghi, A. B., Barreca, A., Lucarelli, M., & Calandrelli A., GreenSelect® Phytosome as an Adjunct to a Low-Calorie Diet for Treatment of Obesity: A Clinical Trial.
6 Belcaro Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine Volume 2013.
