Clinical application of a cocoa and unripe banana flour beverage for overweight women with abdominal obesity: Prospective, double-blinded and randomized clinical trial

Abstract

Objective To assess the effect of a cocoa and unripe banana flour beverage (UBF) on fecal short‐chain fatty acids (SCFA), gastrointestinal symptoms, fecal characteristics and inflammation, in overweight women with abdominal adiposity. METHODS This prospective, double‐blinded, randomized clinical trial involved 60 female volunteers aged between 20 and 50 years. One group received a cocoa beverage (n = 30) and one group received a cocoa and UBF beverage (n = 30), for 6 weeks. Intestinal microbiota was indirectly assessed by consistency, shape, and color of feces, determination of fecal SCFA, and gastrointestinal symptoms. RESULTS Both beverages increased the production of propionic acid (p < .05) and decreased gastrointestinal symptoms (p < .05). The cocoa beverage decreased indigestion (p < .05) and the pro‐inflammatory cytokine, IL‐17. CONCLUSION Cocoa and cocoa with UBF beverages decreased the symptoms of dyspepsia, improved gastrointestinal symptoms, and increased production of propionic acid, favoring healthy intestinal microbiota. Only the cocoa beverage showed an anti‐inflammatory effect. Practical applications Unripe banana flour and cocoa have been widely used to decrease cardiovascular risk, by improving inflammatory parameters and gastrointestinal symptoms. However, the interaction between these two food ingredients and the implication of their interaction on human health remains unknown. Important health benefits may be achieved by assessing the synergism or antagonism of functional foods, particularly when they coexist in the same product. This study aims to attract the interest of the scientific community to conduct more studies on functional bioavailability. Both unripe banana flour and cocoa can have therapeutic potential but it may not be a good idea to associate them. This article provides relevant information to the scientific and broader community regarding the preparation of these foods, to maximize their health benefits on a daily basis, and, additionally, offers the food industry valuable knowledge that can be used to develop healthier food products.

Nutraceutical Properties of Unripe Banana Flour Resistant Starch: A Review

“…[97] Unripe banana flour has also been shown to cause higher relative proportions of propionate compared to acetate and butyrate in some studies. [21,100] Propionate suppresses total cholesterol by reducing the synthesis of enzymes responsible for its production and increasing the synthesis of bile salts that improve its removal. [101,102] It also reduces circulating insulin and curtails hepatic triglyceride levels and glucose homeostasis.…”

“…[ 4,5 ] Due to its health‐promoting properties, unripe banana flour has been used in developing products such as pasta, [ 6–12 ] bread, [ 13 ] and cookies/biscuits. [ 14–18 ] Unripe banana flour can be used as a raw (uncooked) additive in food products such as ice cream [ 19 ] and beverages [ 20–22 ] or in dietary interventions/supplementation. [ 23–25 ]…”

“…[4,5] Due to its health-promoting properties, unripe banana flour has been used in developing products such as pasta, [6][7][8][9][10][11][12] bread, [13] and cookies/biscuits. [14][15][16][17][18] Unripe banana flour can be used as a raw (uncooked) additive in food products such as ice cream [19] and beverages [20][21][22] or in dietary interventions/supplementation. [23][24][25] Unripe banana flour contains bioactive compounds such as phenolics [26,27] ; flavonoids [15,[26][27][28] ; carotenoids [26,27,29] ; and phytosterols.…”