Efficacy and tolerability of Meratrim for weight management: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study in healthy overweight human subjects

Abstract

BackgroundMeratrim is a blend of two plant extracts obtained from Sphaeranthus indicus flower heads and Garcinia mangostana fruit rinds. Previous studies have demonstrated that Meratrim is effective for weight management in obese individuals. The objective of this study was to assess the efficacy and tolerability of Meratrim in managing body weight in healthy overweight subjects.MethodsSixty participants with a mean BMI of 28.3 kg/m2 were randomized into two groups receiving either 400 mg of Meratrim twice daily or two identical placebo capsules for a period of 16 weeks. Subjects were asked to consume about 2,000 kcal/day throughout the study period and walk 5 days a week for 30 min daily. The primary endpoint was defined as the change in body weight from baseline to end of week 16 for the Meratrim group versus placebo. Fifty seven subjects completed the trial.ResultsAt study conclusion, statistically significant reductions in body weight (5.09 vs. 1.1 kg; p < 0.0001), BMI (1.91 vs. 0.43 kg/m2; p < 0.0001), waist (9.97 vs. 3.71 cm; p < 0.001) and hip size (10.38 vs. 5.11 cm; p < 0.0001) were observed in the Meratrim versus the placebo group. Additionally, a significant change in serum LDL (−14.79 vs. 6.25 mg/dL; p < 0.0001), triglycerides (−43.62 vs. -13.68 mg/dL; p < 0.001) and total cholesterol (−20.0 vs. -0.75 mg/dL; p = 0.0002) was observed in the Meratrim cohort compared to the placebo. No supplementation related adverse events were noted during the study.ConclusionsThe study findings suggest that Meratrim is well-tolerated and is an effective ingredient for weight management in healthy overweight subjects.Trial registrationCTRI/2014/07/004727; www.CTRI.nic.in

Is reducing appetite beneficial for body weight management in the context of overweight and obesity? A systematic review and meta‐analysis from clinical trials assessing body weight management after exposure to satiety enhancing and/or hunger reducing products

“…However, it is well documented that gastric bypass surgery promotes weight loss and improve the following body weight maintenance and that it is largely mediated by profound postprandial changes in gastrointestinal hormone secretion associated with enhanced satiety/reduced hunger . Biological markers of appetite were assessed in five of the included studies, but differences between the intervention and the control groups were only reported in three of these . After a single exposure to the foods, the orexigenic hormone ghrelin was found to be lower, and the anorexigenic hormones GLP‐1 and PYY were found to be higher in the intervention groups compared with the control groups in line with previous findings on associations between a number of gastrointestinal hormones and appetite .…”

“…Hence, unchanged appetite after diet‐induced weight loss should not necessarily be interpreted as a lack of sustained effect on appetite. This was found by Kudiganti et al who reported maintained level of appetite in the intervention group despite greater weight loss compared with the control group while the control group showed an increased appetite after the weight loss, as could be expected after diet‐induced weight loss (Table ) . In the study by Rondanelli et al, the effect on appetite may have been too weak to affect body weight, possibly explaining why similar weight losses were found in both groups.…”

“…In the study by Rondanelli et al, the effect on appetite may have been too weak to affect body weight, possibly explaining why similar weight losses were found in both groups. However, Kamphuis et al demonstrated differences in appetite of magnitudes comparable with those reported in the studies from the groups of Blundell, Diepvens, Jakubowicz, Kudiganti, Martin, Rigaud, and Sofer, but Kamphuis did not find this effect to be linked to improved body weight management . It should be noted that appetite was also assessed based on energy intake in this study, and no difference was found between the intervention and the control group in this parameter (Table ) .…”

“…Blundell et al and Jakubowicz et al found reduced appetite in the intervention groups compared with the control groups regardless of the scales used . Kudiganti et al reported the self‐reported appetite evaluations in the form of a composite appetite score while Sofer et al by reported satiety assessed as a mean of a hunger‐satiety score (HSSc) . Martin et al demonstrated reductions in evaluations of “prospective consumption” in the intervention group compared with the control group, whereas evaluations of “hunger.” “desire to eat,” and “fullness” did not differ significantly between the groups, but these data were not shown in more detail .…”

“…The studies from the groups of Blundell, Diepvens, Jakubowicz, Kudiganti, Martin, Rigaud, and Sofer all found reduced appetite in the intervention groups compared with the control groups after repeated exposures to be linked to superior weight losses (Table ) . Blundell et al and Jakubowicz et al found reduced appetite in the intervention groups compared with the control groups regardless of the scales used .…”