Two clinical trials have confirmed blood glucose and triglyceride levels were significantly lowered in the test group, compared to the placebo group.
FANCL will use these findings to market its Calolimit dietary supplement which is said to suppress sugar and fat absorption in healthy people.
The findings will be presented in June 2020, at The 20th Annual Meeting of the Japanese Society of Anti-Aging Medicine. The results were published in the medical journal, Japanese Pharmacology Therapeutics.
Study design
FANCL recruited 40 subjects for the blood glucose study, and 50 subjects for the blood triglyceride study, in a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Participants who participated in any of the trials were healthy individuals aged 20 to 65.
The test group was given a capsule containing tea flower extract, mulberry leaf extract and chitosan.
Blood samples were collected at specific intervals.
Researchers used AUC (area under the curve) as an index for monitoring changes in blood concentration over a certain period of time.
In this study, the lower the value, the lower the rise in blood sugar and triglyceride levels.
Blood glucose: trial one
In trial one, subjects consumed test or placebo food with 150mL of water. After 10 minutes, they were tasked to ingest 200g of rice.
Blood samples were collected at 0 minutes (before meal), and post-meal (30, 60, 90, 120 minutes).
Researchers found the test group had a significantly smaller AUC (68.6 mg.h/dL) in postprandial blood glucose levels than the placebo group (80.1 mg.h/dL) (p<0/05).
Blood triglyceride: trial two
In trial two, subjects consumed test or placebo food with 150mL of water. After 15 minutes, they were tasked to consume a soup containing 40.0 g of total fat (to mimic a high fat diet).
Blood samples were collected at 0 minutes (before meal), and post-meal (2, 3, 4, 6 hours).
Researchers found the test group also had a significantly smaller AUC (293.6 mg.h/dL) in postprandial blood triglyceride levels than the placebo group (391.3 mg.h/dL) (p<0.001).
“From these findings, consumption of foods containing tea flower extract, mulberry leaf extract, and chitosan can suppress the absorption of dietary sugar and fat, and suppress the increase in postprandial blood glucose level and postprandial blood triglyceride level,” researchers said.
Calolimit renewal
Postprandial hyperglycemia (glucose) and lipids (triglyceride) are known risk factors for coronary artery disease and diabetes.
The company explained, “In order to prevent these lifestyle-related diseases, it is important to control blood glucose and triglyceride levels after meals.”
Toshihiro Tomita from the public relations group at FANCL told NutraIngredients-Asia, FANCL had been conducting research on the development of dietary supplements to prevent lifestyle-related diseases. An example is its Calolimit product with the function of suppressing sugar and fat absorption.
“We will use the results of this research in the renewed product of Calolimit released this month,” Tomita said. The product will be marketed with evidence from the two clinical trials.
Calolimit contains 1.75mg of mulberry leaf extract, 0.85mg tea flower extract and 100mg of chitosan. It suitable for those who tend to eat a diet high in sugar and fat.
The company recommended a daily dose of three tablets, the supplements comes in 90 tablets, and retail for JPY 1,563 (USD15). It will be available in drug stores, convenience stores, and mass retailers in March.
We will be shining the spotlight on the extensive food, nutrition and beverage opportunities that are being created by the region’s rapidly ageing population, and a growing interest in health and wellness across the board, at our Healthy Ageing APAC Summit in Singapore this July. Find out more here.