Natural vegan meal replacement: metabolic and oxidative modulation on overweight subjects

Abstract

Background: Obesity correlates with insulin resistance, dyslipidemia, oxidative stress, cardiovascular diseases. Meal replacement (MR) products offer a possible strategy for weight management and subsequent reduction in obesity-related risk factors. Aims/Methods: twenty-seven healthy overweight subjects (6M/21F, age range 21-70, BMI range 25.0-43.8 kg/m²) were enrolled to test the efficacy of a MR supplement (GoJuvo®). Main aims: a) short-term: to compare glycaemic status and triglycerides levels at baseline (T0), after MR supplementation and after a standard Mediterranean meal taken 4 hours after MR; long-term: to evaluate, in 20 out of the 27 subjects, over three months (T1), the effects of the MR, b) taken together with a standard prescribed diet, and to compare it with the effects on the parameters of 20 controls only on the standard diet. Anthropometric parameters, lipid and glycaemia profile, oxidative status (oxidized LDL concentrations) and homocysteine metabolism were measured at T0 and T1. Results: Short-term aim: overweight/obese subjects’ post-prandial MR insulin and triglycerides values were significantly lower than values after the standard meal (mean delta values p=0.0001 and p=0.006, respectively); long-term aim: at T1, subjects showed a significant improvement in anthropometric indices (p<0.05), a considerable decrease in ox-LDL levels and a significant improvement in Hcy metabolism (p<0.001). Conclusions: GoJuvo® modulated metabolic indices associated with the development of type 2 diabetes, possibly due to its fibre content. Subjects at T1 showed a significant decrease in homocysteine mia with an increase in folate levels and an anti-oxidative action on lipid peroxidation, most likely contributing to a reduction in cardiovascular risk.