Two weeks of supplementation with the branded Meratrim ingredient was also associated with a 4.7 inch reduction in waist circumference, compared to placebo, according to results in Obesity and the Journal of Medicinal Foods.
Findings published in Obesity concerned a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial involving 60 subjects. These results were subsequently pooled together with results from a separate 40-subject study and published in the Journal of Medicinal Food.
“Results from the current studies suggest that the herbal blend appears to be an effective and well-tolerated ingredient for weight management,” concluded the researchers led by Professor Judith Stern, ScD, from the University of California, Davis in the Journal of Medicinal Food
‘A valid substantiation for manufacturers’
Commenting on the study’s findings, Paul Dijkstra, CEO of InterHealth, said: “Most companies are looking for two published well-designed clinical studies to support unique structure/function claims for their weight management products.
“The publication of the pooled data as well as the publication of the 60-subject study in Obesity provides valid substantiation for manufacturers.”
“Significant two-week results, for instance, is meaningful to consumers wanting to shed pounds and improve body composition quickly and safely.”
Study details
For the study in Obesity, Prof Stern and her co-workers recruited 60 overweight and obese subjects to participate in their randomized, double-blind, clinical trial. Participants were randomly assigned to receive 800 mg per day of Meratrim or placebo capsules for eight weeks. The participants also ate a standard 2,000 calorie diet and walked 30 min 5 days per week.
Results showed that the body weight was decreased by an average of 8.2 pounds (3.74 kg), BMI decreased by 1.61 kg/m2, and waist circumference by 5.44 cm over the eight weeks of study, compared with placebo.
When these data were pooled with another clinical trial with an additional 40 subjects, results showed that, for the 95 people who completed the trials, Meratrim was associated with body weight decrease of 5.2 kg (11.5 lbs), BMI decreases of 2.2 kg.m2, and waist circumference, compared with placebo decreased of 11.9 cm. Hip circumference was also found to decrease by an average of 6.3 cm.
Results also showed that adiponectin levels increased in the herbal supplement group, while fasting glucose levels decreased by an average of 12%, compared with placebo. Adiponectin is a hormone released from fat cells, which plays an important role in the regulation of insulin sensitivity and energy.
“Our findings suggest that the herbal blend appears to be a well-tolerated and effective ingredient for weight management,” they concluded.
Finished products
InterHealth launched Meratrim in early 2011, and the ingredient is used in several products in the US, including NV Clinical, Life Extension’s Arthromax Advanced with UC-II, Prosource’s Zycor, and Xango’s FAVAO.
Sources:
Obesity
2013, Volume 21, Pages 921-927, doi:10.1002/oby.20211
“Efficacy and Tolerability of a Novel Herbal Formulation for Weight Management”
Authors: J.S. Stern, J. Peerson, A.T. Mishra, M.V. Sadasiva Rao, K.P. Rajeswari
Journal of Medical Food
2013, Volume 16, Number 6, Pages 529–537, doi: 10.1089/jmf.2012.0178
“Efficacy and Tolerability of an Herbal Formulation for Weight Management”
Authors: J.S. Stern, J. Peerson, A.T. Mishra, M.V. Sadasiva Rao, K.P. Rajeswari