Effects of Very Low Calorie Diet using Meal Replacements on Psychological Factors and Quality of Life in the Obese Women Aged Twenties

This study was performed to investigate the effects of very low calorie diet (VLCD) using meal replacements that contain the wild grass extracts based on Samul-tang ingredients on psychological factors and quality of life in the obese women (BMI > or = 25 kg/m2) for four weeks. Seventy five women (20 < or = age < 26) participated in this experiment. Subjects were randomly classified three groups: 1) General diet group (GD group, n = 27) consumed 3 regular meals within 600 kcal/day 2) Meal replacements group (MR group, n = 27) consumed 1 regular meal and 2 meal replacements within 600 kcal/day 3) Herbal Meal replacements group (HMR group, n = 27) consumed 1 regular meal and 2 meal replacements within 600 kcal/day. Physical factors (weight, BMI, fat(%)) of the HMR group significantly decreased more than those of GD and MR groups. Moreover, binge eating habit and environmental factors (surrounding support, emotional reaction, expression of opinion) of the HMR group significantly decreased more than those of GD and MR groups. Psychological factor and quality of life were no significant differences among three groups during the experimental period, because both were significantly decreased in all groups after 4 weeks. Therefore, very low calorie diet using meal replacements that contain the wild grass extracts based on Samul-tang ingredients for 4 weeks was effective on improvement of psychological factor and quality of life as well as weight reduction in the obese premenopausal women.

Effects of Very Low Calorie Diet using Meal Replacements on Weight Reduction and Health in the Obese Adult Women

This study was performed to investigate the effects of very low calorie diet (VLCD) using newly meal replacements that contain the wild grass extracts based on Samul-tang ingredients on weight reduction and health in the obese adult women (BMI > or = 25 kg/m2) for four weeks. Seventy five women participated in this experiment. Subjects were randomly classified three groups: 1) General Diet group (GD group, n = 25) consumed 3 regular meals within 600 kcal/day, 2) Meal replacements group (MR group, n = 25) consumed 1 regular meal and 2 meal replacements within 600 kcal/ day, 3) Herbal Meal replacements group (HMR group, n = 25) consumed 1 regular meal and 2 meal replacements within 600 kcal/day. Anthropometric measurements, body composition, biochemical measurements and body symptoms were assessed before (the initial) and after (the 4th week) the study. Anthropometry measurements such as weight, waist and hip circumference, and BMI and body composition such as body fat percent, fat mass significantly decreased in all groups after diet intervention. Anthropometric measurements and body composition of the HMR group significantly more than those of GD and MR groups. Serum Total cholesterol was significantly decreased in all groups. However, there was no significant difference among three groups during the experimental period. HMR group had significantly less felt a pain than GD and MR groups in body symptoms such as anemia, powerlessness, vomiting, constipation and dryness of skin during the experimental period. Therefore, very low calorie diet (VLCD) using meal replacements that contain the wild grass extracts based on Samul-tang ingredients was very effective on weight reduction and health in the obese adult women.

Development of anti-obesity dietary supplement decreasing nutrient absorption by digestive enzyme inhibition in gut

In this study, we found a new food additive as an natural herbal extracts against lipid digestion enzymes for the regulation of fatty acid absorption and weight control. The Water extracts of Platycodon grandiflorum and Solanum melongena. inhibited lipase activity and decresed serum total cholesterol and triglyceride concentration in mouse fed lipid emulsion. Twenty three volunteers were subjected to the intake of the herbal extracts plus the egg yolk IgY that inhibit carbohydrate digestion enzymes in gut for 50 days. In average, the treated subjects appeared to lose 1.96 kg of body weight and 3.4 kg of body fat mass during the treated period. Furthermore, Panniculus adiposus and breech size were significantly decreased during the experimental period. Above results suggested that the administration of the dietary additives composed of natural herbal extract and egg yolk IgY improve the obesity by the decrement of body weight and body fat mass.