Effect of L-arginine and selenium added to a hypocaloric diet enriched with legumes on cardiovascular disease risk factors in women with central obesity: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: We aimed to discover if L-arginine and selenium alone or together can increase the effect of a hypocaloric diet enriched in legumes (HDEL) on central obesity and cardiovascular risk factors in women with central obesity. METHODS: This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial was undertaken in 84 premenopausal women with central obesity. After a 2-week run-in period on an isocaloric diet, participants were randomly assigned to a control diet (HDEL), L-arginine (5 g/day) and HDEL, selenium (200 µg/day) and HDEL or L-arginine, selenium and HDEL for 6 weeks. Cardiovascular risk factors were assessed before intervention and 3 and 6 weeks afterwards. RESULTS: After 6 weeks, L-arginine had significantly reduced waist circumference (WC); selenium had significantly lowered fasting concentrations of serum insulin and the homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance index; the interaction between L-arginine and selenium significantly reduced the fasting concentration of nitric oxides (NO(x)), and HDEL lowered triglycerides (TG) and WC and significantly increased the fasting concentration of NO(x). HDEL reduced high-sensitivity C-reactive protein levels in the first half of the study and returned them to basal levels in the second half. CONCLUSION: These data indicate the beneficial effects of L-arginine on central obesity, selenium on insulin resistance and HDEL on serum concentrations of NO(x) and TG.

The effect of hypocaloric diet enriched in legumes with or without L-arginine and selenium on anthropometric measures in central obese women.

BACKGROUND: Identifying new ways to decrease adiposity will be very valuable for health. The aim of this study was to find out whether L-Arginine (Arg) and selenium alone or together can increase the effect of hypocaloric diet enriched in legumes (HDEL) on anthropometric measures in healthy obese women. METHODS: This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial was undertaken in 84 healthy premenopausal women with central obesity. After 2 weeks of run-in on an isocaloric diet, participants were randomly considered to eat HDEL, Arg (5 g/d) and HDEL, selenium (200 µg/d) and HDEL or Arg, selenium and HDEL for 6 weeks. The following variables were assessed before intervention and 3 and 6 weeks after it: weight, waist circumference, hip circumference, waist to hip ratio (WHR), body mass index (BMI), and fasting nitrite/nitrate (NO(x)) concentrations. Other variables (arm, thigh, calf and breast circumferences, subscapular, triceps, biceps and suprailiac skinfold thicknesses, sum of skinfold thicknesses (SSF), body density (D) and estimated percent of body fat (EPF)) were assessed before and after intervention. RESULTS: HDEL showed a significant effect in reduction of waist, hip, arm, thigh, calf and breast circumferences, triceps, biceps, subscapular and suprailiac skinfold thicknesses, WHR, SSF, D and EPF. HDEL + Arg + selenium significantly reduced suprailiac skinfold thicknesses; and there was no significant effect of HDEL, Arg, selenium and Arg plus selenium on weight, BMI and fasting NO(x). CONCLUSIONS: The study indicates that HDEL + Arg + selenium reduce suprailiac skinfold thicknesses which represents the abdominal obesity reduction.