Poor Magnesium Status May Be Related to Metabolic Syndrome

In a recent study, lower Magnesium levels correlated with an increased number of metabolic syndrome risk factors.

Metabolic syndrome has been defined as the presence of abdominal obesity combined with two of the following factors: hypertension, dyslipidemia, impaired glucose tolerance, or diabetes mellitus. Magnesium is an essential cofactor for more than 300 enzymes involved in carbohydrate and lipid metabolism.

In a recent study, researchers enrolled 117 overweight and obese patients and measured serum magnesium levels together with fasting serum glucose, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL), and triacylglycerols. Researchers found a strong inverse relationship between serum magnesium levels and the presence of metabolic syndrome. In addition, as the level of serum magnesium decreased, the number of factors relating to metabolic syndrome increased. Also, there was an inverse relationship between serum magnesium levels and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (a marker of inflammation).

The scientists concluded that decreased levels of serum magnesium are associated with increased risk for metabolic syndrome, possibly due to a low-grade inflammatory process.

Angelos A, et al. An inverse relationship between cumulative components of the metabolic syndrome and serum magnesium levels. 2008. Nutrition Research 28(10):659-63.

Body Mass Index Associated with Risk of All-cause Mortality

In white adults, being overweight or obese (and possibly underweight) is associated with increased all-cause mortality. All-cause mortality is generally lowest with a BMI of 20.0 to 24.9.

A high body-mass index (BMI) is associated with increased mortality from cardiovascular disease and certain cancers, but the precise relationship between BMI and all-cause mortality remains uncertain.

A large analysis reported in the December 2, 2010 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine confirms the relationship between being overweight or obese and a greater risk of dying from all causes.

An international team of researchers pooled data from 19 prospective studies totaling 1,462,958 white male and female participants between the ages of 19 and 84. Body mass index (BMI), calculated by dividing a person’s weight in kilograms by the square of their height in meters, was determined for all subjects. The participants were followed for periods that ranged from a maximum of 7 to 28 years, during which 160,087 deaths occurred.

Upon enrollment, the average BMI was 26.2. Compared with women whose body mass index was between 22.5 and 24.9, having a BMI of 25 to 29.9 was associated with a 13 percent greater risk of death over the period of follow-up. This risk rose with increasing body mass index categories, with women whose BMI was 40 to 49.9 having 2.5 times the risk of death from all causes than those with a BMI of 22.5 to 24.9. Risks among men were similar. Although a small risk of death was also observed for those whose BMI was below 20, the authors suggest that the finding was in part caused by preexisting disease.

In white adults, overweight and obesity (and possibly underweight) are associated with increased all-cause mortality. All-cause mortality is generally lowest with a BMI of 20.0 to 24.9.

de Gonzalez AB, Phil D, et al. Body-Mass Index and Mortality among 1.46 Million White Adults. 2010. N Engl J Med 363:2211-9.

To learn more and calculate your BMI, see the following link: http://www.nhlbisupport.com/bmi

Multivitamin Supplementation May Have Positive Effects on Body Weight

New research suggests that obese individuals who use a multivitamin and mineral supplement may experience both a decrease in body weight and improved serum lipid profiles.

Obese individuals are more likely to have lower blood concentrations of most vitamins and minerals. Unfortunately, there is currently limited information on the effects of nutritional supplementation on body weight control and energy metabolism in obese adults.

In new research published in the International Journal of Obesity, scientists evaluated the effects of multivitamin/mineral supplementation on body fat, energy expenditure, and lipid profiles in obese Chinese women.

Ninety-six obese Chinese women between the ages of 18 and 55 participated in a 26-week randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled intervention study. Subjects were divided into three groups, receiving either a multivitamin/mineral supplement (MMS), 162mg of calcium, or placebo daily. Body weight, BMI, waist circumference, fat mass, lean tissue, resting energy expenditure, blood pressure, fasting plasma glucose and serum insulin, total cholesterol, LDL and HDL cholesterol, and triglycerides were measured at the beginning and end of the study period.

After 26 weeks, the multivitamin/mineral group had significantly lower body weight, BMI, fat mass, total and LDL cholesterol, significantly higher resting energy expenditure and HDL cholesterol than individuals in the placebo group. They were also more likely to have a reduced waist circumference. The calcium group also had significantly higher HDL cholesterol and lower LDL cholesterol levels compared with the placebo group.

The results suggest that multivitamin/mineral supplementation could reduce body weight and fatness and improve serum lipid profiles in obese women, possibly through increased energy expenditure and fat oxidation.

Li Y, Wang C, Zhu K, Feng RN, and Sun CH. Effects of multivitamin and mineral supplementation on adiposity, energy expenditure and lipid profiles in obese Chinese women. 2010. Int J Obes (Lond) 34(6):1070-7.

Meal Replacements Better Than Standard Diets for Weight Loss in Diabetics

New research shows portion-controlled meal replacement diets as more effective than standard diets at both initial weight loss and long-term weight maintenance in type 2 diabetics.

A recent study published in Diabetes Education compared the efficacy of a portion-controlled meal replacement diet (PCD) to a standard diet (SD) based on American Diabetes Association recommendations in achieving and maintaining weight loss.

Participants included 119 overweight men and women with type 2 diabetes and a body mass index (BMI) between 25 and 40. Subjects were randomly assigned to one of two diets (PCD or SD) that contained 75% of predicted energy needs. The diets were then followed by a maintenance phase of one year.

Weight loss at 34 weeks and weight maintenance at 86 weeks was significantly better on PCD versus SD. Approximately 40% of the PCD participants lost at least 5% of their initial weight compared with only 12% of those on the standard diet. Significant improvements in biochemical and metabolic measures were observed at 34 weeks in both groups. The ease and self-reported adherence to the diet were greater in the PCD group throughout the study.

In this study, a diet using portion-controlled meal replacements resulted in significantly greater initial weight loss and less regain after one year of maintenance than a standard, self-selected, food-based diet. As PCDs may help obese patients with type 2 diabetes adhere to a weight control program, diabetes educators should consider recommending them as part of a comprehensive approach to weight control.

Recommended healthy diet USANA RESET

Cheskin LJ, et al. Efficacy of meal replacements versus a standard food-based diet for weight loss in type 2 diabetes: a controlled clinical trial. 2008. Diabetes Educ 34(1):118-27

High Protein, Low-Glycemic Diets Better at Maintaining Weight Loss

New research shows that a low-glycemic diet relatively high in protein is more effective at weight maintenance than a low-protein, high-glycemic diet.

A recent study in the New England Journal of Medicine reports that a diet relatively high in protein and low in refined carbohydrates (low-glycemic) is more successful than other diets at maintaining weight loss.

Researchers enrolled overweight adults from eight European countries who had lost at least 8% of their initial body weight with a low-calorie diet. Participants were randomly assigned to one of five diets to prevent weight regain over a 26-week period: a low-protein and low-GI (glycemic index) diet, a low-protein and high-GI diet, a high-protein and low-GI diet, a high-protein and high-GI diet, or a control diet based on the current European dietary recommendations. The high protein diet provided 25 percent of calories in the form of protein, while the low protein diet consisted of 13 percent protein.

Five hundred forty-eight subjects completed six months on the assigned diets. In the analysis of participants who completed the study, only the low-protein/high-GI diet was associated with subsequent significant weight regain (1.67 kg, or 3.6 lbs) by the end of the dietary intervention. Weight regain was less in those who consumed high protein compared to low protein and in low-GI diets compared to high-GI diets. High-GI foods include white flour, white rice, and other refined carbohydrates.

This study shows that a modest increase in protein content and a modest reduction in glycemic index can lead to an improvement in compliance and maintenance of weight loss.

Larsen TM, et al. Diets with High or Low Protein Content and Glycemic Index for Weight-Loss Maintenance. 2010. N Engl J Med 363:2102-13.

Soy and Weight Loss

Some claim that soy-based meal-replacement formulas are ineffective for weight loss. However, the fact is that soy protein has been used effectively as a component of weight loss diets for more than 20 years. Animal studies have shown that soy protein and its associated bioactive isoflavones and peptides can have beneficial effects on glucose metabolism, fat metabolism, insulin sensitivity, metabolic rate, food intake and weight loss.  Studies in humans have further shown that increased intakes of soy or animal protein can increase metabolic rate, decrease appetite, and increase satiety. Furthermore, randomized clinical trials and clinical weight loss studies have shown that diets based on soy protein are every bit as effective - if not more effective - than diets based on dairy protein when it comes to helping people lose weight and abdominal fat.

The truth is that weight loss is much more a function of reducing caloric intake and increasing calories burned through exercise, as opposed to simply using soy or whey protein in the diet.

Calcium and Vitamin D Enhance Heart Health Benefits of Weight Loss

Weight Loss & Heart Health

Weight loss and reduced waist circumference are related to an improvement in heart health and factors related to metabolic syndrome. According to recent research, supplementing with calcium and vitamin D during weight loss enhances heart health benefits in women with typically low calcium intakes.

Recent research has shown that overweight individuals with low calcium and dairy consumption are at increased risk of developing metabolic syndrome. These findings suggest that adequate calcium intake could create a healthier metabolic profile.

Canadian researchers investigated this issue by testing cardiovascular benefits of long-term calcium supplementation in women with low calcium intake. Healthy, overweight or obese women with a daily calcium intake of less than 800 mg/day were randomly assigned to one of two groups: a group consuming two tablets/day of a calcium + vitamin D supplement (600 mg elemental calcium and 200 IU vitamin D/tablet), or a group consuming placebo. Both groups completed a 15-week reduced calorie weight-loss program.

Significant decreases in LDL cholesterol levels, as well as the ratios of total to LDL and LDL to HDL were seen the calcium + vitamin D group. These changes were independent of changes due to fat loss and reduced waist circumference. A tendency for more beneficial changes in HDL cholesterol, triglycerides, and total cholesterol was also observed in the calcium+D group.

This was the first study to show that calcium and vitamin D enhance the beneficial effects of weight loss on cardiovascular risk factors in overweight women with typically low calcium intakes.

Major GC, et al. Supplementation with calcium + vitamin D enhances the beneficial effect of weight loss on plasma lipid and lipoprotein concentrations. 2007. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 85(1): 54-9.