Kidney Bean and Artichoke Extracts - a Novel Approach to Weight Management
Obesity has reached global epidemic proportions, and yet all efforts to contain it have so far been unsuccessful. In some countries, more people die of being obese than they do of being underweight. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), obesity rates have doubled since 1980 and in 2008, 1.5 billion adults over the age of 20 were overweight - that's 10 percent of the adult world population. 1 This global problem continues to be the number one health problem facing our society. It knows no barriers and crosses all cultural, political and economic boundaries.
In an effort to curb obesity rates, the supplement health industry has concentrated its efforts to the field of nutritional research and in the process discovered numerous botanicals that offer a multi-faceted approach to weight management. When combined with individual weight loss regiments these botanicals may help enhance weight loss by:
- burning calories
- blocking fat from being digested
- building satiety
Satiety - a Critical Factor in Weight Loss Management
Satiety is a state of feeling "full" after a meal. It is an indication that the body has had enough to eat. After a meal, the body begins the process of satiation by releasing peptide hormones (such as cholecystokinin, peptide YY) into the bloodstream from the gut. These peptide hormones then act on the brain stimulating feelings of "fullness". The actual components of a meal are considered to be responsible for triggering the release of satiety factors. These components include proteins, fibers and simple sugars. Satiety ingredients in weight loss supplements function in the same way - by stimulating the release of peptide hormones. They work alongside the body's natural process to promote satiety. It must be noted here that satiety ingredients work very differently in the body from appetite suppressants which are absorbed into the bloodstream and disrupt normal brain chemistry. 2
There are several types of satiety ingredients. They not only work as "starch blockers" but initiate satiety earlier and sustain feelings of "fullness" longer - both these processes result in reduced caloric intake.
Kidney Bean and Artichoke Extract Offer Weight Management Benefits
The strategy behind all weight management programs is to introduce changes that result in increased energy expenditure with decreased energy intake. Satiety ingredients help to decrease energy intake. Natural satiety ingredients, such as an artichoke extract and kidney bean extract, work as a "starch blocker" helping to inhibit the activity of the digestive enzyme alpha amylase. Alpha amylase initiates the digestion of complex carbohydrates in the body breaking them down into simple starch which can be easily absorbed by the body. Bean-artichoke extract is believed to help prevent or slow down the work of alpha amylase, allowing complex carbohydrates to pass through the body without being digested, thereby reducing starch-caloric intake.
A recent study showed that two months of consuming extracts from artichoke and kidney beans increase satiety and helped manage weight effectively. The randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial involved 39 overweight participants. Twenty were in the group that received dietary supplementation with an extract from Phaseolus vulgaris (kidney bean) and Cynara scolymus (artichoke); and 19 were in the placebo group. After two months, the group given the bean-artichoke extract showed an increase in satiation levels with an associated decrease in blood glucose, and lost 1 kilogram of more weight than the placebo group. 3
More Satiety Ingredients
Fiber. An adequate intake of dietary fiber has a positive effect on weight-loss, satiety, lipid profile and glucose metabolism. In addition to weight loss benefits, consuming dietary fiber also seems to have cardiovascular benefits as well. 4 According to Frost & Sullivan, a global a business research and consulting firm, the prebioitic (fiber) ingredients market is expected to double in the next five years to more than $220 million. 5
Protein. A higher intake of protein has been associated with increased satiety, increased thermogenesis and the retention of lean muscle mass. Protein powders are popular with health enthusiasts, weight watchers and athletes. 6
A Growing Market for Weight Management Supplements
Rising global obesity rates have opened the door for supplement business owners to introduce natural or herbal weight loss products. Frost & Sullivan's report, Opportunities in Global Weight Management Ingredients, states the weight loss ingredient market earned revenue of $7.5 million in 2008 and forecasted earnings are expected to reach $13.9 million by 2015. 6 The market is growing extensively with a range of products that include novel, science-backed satiety ingredients that demonstrate high efficacy for successful weight loss combined with a healthy diet and exercise.
Kidney bean extract and artichoke extract can both be manufactured as capsules, tablets or powders. Nutricap Labs can help you design effective weight loss supplements for your customers using ingredients that promote both satiety and weight loss. Call (800) 494-6154 to speak with one of our product advisors about our full range of customized weight loss manufacturing solutions or submit your request to receive a free product quote in 48 hours or less.
References:
1. Obesity and Overweight, World Health Organization Fact Sheet, March 2011. http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs311/en/index.html
2. Gut Hormones as Mediators of Appetite and Weight Loss After Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass, Annals of Surgery: November 2007 - Volume 246 - Issue 5 - pp 780-785. http://journals.lww.com/annalsofsurgery/Abstract/2007/11000/Gut_Hormones_as_Mediators_of_Appetite_and_Weight.14.aspx
3. Appetite Control and Glycaemia Reduction in Overweight Subjects treated with a Combination of Two Highly Standardized Extracts from Phaseolus vulgaris and Cynara scolymus, Phytotherapy Research, Volume 25, Issue 9, pages 1275–1282, September 2011. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ptr.3425/abstract
4. A psyllium fiber-enriched meal strongly attenuates postprandial gastrointestinal peptide release in healthy young adults, J Nutr. 2010 Apr;140(4):737-44. Epub 2010 Feb 10. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20147463
5. U.S. Prebiotics Market, Frost & Sullivan http://www.frost.com/prod/servlet/report-toc.pag?repid=N30C-01-00-00-00
6. Protein, weight management, and satiety, Am J Clin Nutr. 2008 May;87(5):1558S-1561S. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18469287
7. Opportunities in Global Weight Management Ingredients, June 23, 2010, Frost & Sullivan. http://www.frost.com/prod/servlet/press-release.pag?docid=205007756
