Nutraceutical Supplementation in Obese Patients and Effects on Anthropometric, Metabolic, and Inflammatory Parameters

The aim of this study was to evaluate if Metabolic® Ultra, a nutraceutical containing Chitosan and α-Lipoic acid (Nutraceutical), can decrease anthropometric measures and ameliorate metabolic values, inflammatory status, and cytokine parameters in patients with obesity. We enrolled 60 Caucasian obese (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m 2 ) nondiabetic patients, aged ≥ 18 of either sex. Patients were randomized to take placebo or Nutraceutical for 6 months, in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled design. Nutraceutical and placebo were self-administered twice a day, 3 tablets fifteen minutes before lunch and dinner. A significant decrease of weight, BMI, and Abd. Cir. were observed after 6 months of Nutraceutical treatment (p< 0.05 vs Baseline) compared to placebo. No Waist Cir. and Hip Cir. variations were observed in both groups. No variation of FPG, FPI, and Homa index were recorded in both groups compared to Baseline. A significant TC, LDL-C, and Tg decrease was recorded at 6 months in the Nutraceutical group compared to the placebo group (p< 0.05 vs Baseline, respectively), and a significant TC, and LDL-C decrease was found at 6 months compared to placebo group (p< 0.05, respectively). No significant HDL-C variation was observed in the Nutraceutical group, although there was an increasing trend. High-sensitivity C-reactive protein was significantly reduced at 6 months in the Nutraceutical group (p< 0.05 vs Baseline, and p< 0.05 vs placebo), while the ADN was raised to 6 months in the Nutraceutical group (p< 0.05 vs Baseline, and p< 0.05 vs placebo). No significant change was seen for IL-6 and TNF-α at the end of the study in both treatments. All the patients who finished the study and underwent OGTT at Baseline and after 6 months were euglycemic at the end of the second hour in both groups. We can conclude that a nutraceutical containing Chitosan and α-Lipoic acid can be helpful in reducing weight and BMI, in improving lipid profile, and in reducing inflammatory parameters, without affecting the glycemic status of obese patients.