BackgroundRed ginseng is prepared by steaming raw ginseng, a process believed to increase the pharmacological efficacy. Further bioconversion of red ginseng through fermentation is known to increase its intestinal absorption and bioactivity, and bioconversion diminishes the toxicity of red ginseng’s metabolite. This study was conducted to investigate the effects of daily supplementation with fermented red ginseng (FRG) on glycemic status in subjects with impaired fasting glucose or type 2 diabetes.MethodsThis study was a four-week long, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Forty-two subjects with impaired fasting glucose or type 2 diabetes were randomly allocated to two groups assigned to consume either the placebo or fermented red ginseng (FRG) three times per day for four weeks. Fasting and postprandial glucose profiles during meal tolerance tests were assessed before and after the intervention.ResultsFRG supplementation led to a significant reduction in postprandial glucose levels and led to an increase in postprandial insulin levels compared to the placebo group. There was a consistently significant improvement in the glucose area under the curve (AUC) in the FRG group. However, fasting glucose, insulin, and lipid profiles were not different from the placebo group.ConclusionDaily supplementation with FRG lowered postprandial glucose levels in subjects with impaired fasting glucose or type 2 diabetes.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov: NCT01826409
SummaryCaffeine is one of the famous ergogenic aids in the athletic field. Caffeine has been known to stimulate lipolysis that spares stored glycogen utilization during moderate intensity exercise. Therefore, we investigated the effects of caffeine ingestion on exercise per formance in rats and athletes. Rats were administered the caffeine (6mg/kg) 1h prior to the exercise then were run on a treadmill at a speed of 20m/min. They were decapitated at 0min, 30min, 60min of exercise, and exhausted time point. Human subjects ingested the caffeine (5mg/kg) 1h prior to the exercise. They exercised on a cycle ergometer at 60% of their VO2max for 45min, and then the exercise intensity was increased to 80% of their VO 2max until exhaustion. Blood and breathing gas samples were collected and calculated every 10min during exercise. Respiratory exchange ratio of the caffeine trial was signifi cantly lower than that of the placebo trial in the athletes' study (p<0.05). Blood free fatty acid (FFA) levels in studies of both rats and athletes were increased by caffeine ingestion during exercise (p<0.05). Blood lactate levels were also increased during exercise in both rats and athletes (p<0.05). Increased FFA and glycerol concentrations reduced glycogen utilization during exercise compared with placebo group in rats. In addition, endurance time to exhaustion was significantly increased by the caffeine ingestion in both rats and ath letes (p<0.05). These results suggest that the caffeine ingestion enhanced endurance per formance resulting from spare stored glycogen with increasing lipolysis from adipose tissues and fat oxidation during exercise both in rats and in athletes.
Chronic ethanol abuse can cause liver damage and unfavorable lipid profiles in humans and rodents. Phytonutrients have the potential to partially reverse some of the adverse effects of alcoholism. In this study, a germinated brown rice grown under conditions that favor high concentrations of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) was evaluated for protective effects against the toxic consequences of chronic ethanol use. Serum and hepatic lipid concentrations and enzymes indicative of liver damage were determined in mice chronically administered ethanol. Balb/c mice were fed with either AIN-76 diet (control), control diet plus ethanol, or control diet plus ethanol and supplemental brown rice extract for 30 days. The extract naturally contained 841 nmol GABA per milliliter and was prepared from germinated brown rice. Serum low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), liver aspartate aminotransferase, and liver alanine aminotransferase levels were increased in mice administered ethanol, but not in mice given ethanol and brown rice extract. The brown rice extract significantly increased serum and liver high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) concentrations. Furthermore, administration of the extract prevented ethanol-induced increases in liver triglyceride and total cholesterol concentrations. These findings raise the possibility that brown rice extracts containing a high level of GABA may have a nutraceutical role in the recovery from and prevention of chronic alcohol-related diseases.
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