Different elemental infant formulas show equivalent phosphorus and calcium bioavailability in healthy volunteers.

Retrospective chart reviews have reported hypophosphatemia associated with elemental formula use in infants and children with systemic disease involving multiple diagnoses. The present study aims to evaluate the bioavailability of phosphorus from 2 commercial elemental formulas and to test our hypothesis of bioequivalence of the 2 products in healthy volunteers receiving gastric acid-suppressive medication. A single-center, double-blind, randomized, cross-over study was conducted in healthy volunteers with esomeprazole-induced hypochlorhydria. After a standardized low phosphorus meal followed by overnight fasting, subjects consumed 1 gram of phosphorus in a single oral dose of 1217 kcal of Product A (Neocate) or Product B (Elecare). The alternate product was given following a 1-week washout period. Blood and urine were collected at baseline and different time-points for up to 6 hours after product consumption. Area-under-the-curve (AUC) and peak values (Cpeak) for serum phosphate and calcium and urinary creatinine-corrected phosphate and calcium were assessed for bioequivalence of Products A and B. Results show that the geometric mean ratio (GMR) and 90% CI for serum phosphate were 1.041 (0.998-1.086) and 1.020 (0.963-1.080) for AUC0-360 and Cpeak, respectively, meeting the predetermined criteria for bioequivalence. Urinary creatinine-corrected phosphate followed a similar pattern after intake of Product A and B, but did not reach bioequivalence criteria (GMR: AUC70-370 = 1.105 (0.918-1.330); Cpeak = 1.182 (1.040-1.343)). Serum calcium concentrations (GMR: AUC0-360 = 1.002 (0.996-1.009); Cpeak = 0.991 (0.983-0.999)) and urinary creatinine-corrected calcium excretion (GMR: AUC70-370 = 1.117 (1.023-1.219); Cpeak = 1.157 (1.073-1.247)) demonstrated bioequivalence of the products. In conclusion, both elemental infant formulas showed equivalent serum phosphorus and calcium bioavailability in healthy volunteers even if combined with treatment with acid-suppressive medication.

Long-Term Green Tea Supplementation Does Not Change the Human Gut Microbiota.

BACKGROUND: Green tea catechins may play a role in body weight regulation through interactions with the gut microbiota. AIM: We examined whether green tea supplementation for 12 weeks induces changes in composition of the human gut microbiota. METHODS: 58 Caucasian men and women were included in a randomized, placebo-controlled design. For 12 weeks, subjects consumed either green tea (>0.56 g/d epigallocatechin-gallate + 0.28 ∼ 0.45 g/d caffeine) or placebo capsules. Fecal samples were collected twice (baseline, vs. week 12) for analyses of total bacterial profiles by means of IS-profiling, a 16S-23S interspacer region-based profiling method. RESULTS: No significant changes between baseline and week 12 in subjects receiving green tea or placebo capsules, and no significant interactions between treatment (green tea or placebo) and time (baseline and week 12) were observed for body composition. Analysis of the fecal samples in subjects receiving green tea and placebo showed similar bacterial diversity and community structures, indicating there were no significant changes in bacterial diversity between baseline and week 12 in subjects receiving green tea capsules or in subjects receiving placebo capsules. No significant interactions were observed between treatment (green tea or placebo) and time (baseline and week 12) for the gut microbial diversity. Although, there were no significant differences between normal weight and overweight subjects in response to green tea, we did observe a reduced bacterial alpha diversity in overweight as compared to normal weight subjects (p = 0.002). CONCLUSION: Green tea supplementation for 12 weeks did not have a significant effect on composition of the gut microbiota. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01556321.

Nutraceuticals for body-weight management: The role of green tea catechins.

Green tea catechins mixed with caffeine have been proposed as adjuvants for maintaining or enhancing energy expenditure and for increasing fat oxidation, in the context of prevention and treatment of obesity. These catechins-caffeine mixtures seem to counteract the decrease in metabolic rate that occurs during weight loss. Their effects are of particular importance during weight maintenance after weight loss. Other metabolic targets may be fat absorption and the gut microbiota composition, but these effects still need further investigation in combination with weight loss. Limitations for the effects of green tea catechins are moderating factors such as genetic predisposition related to COMT-activity, habitual caffeine intake, and ingestion combined with dietary protein. In conclusion, a mixture of green tea catechins and caffeine has a beneficial effect on body-weight management, especially by sustained energy expenditure, fat oxidation, and preservation of fat free body-mass, after energy restriction induced body-weight loss, when taking the limitations into account.

Long-term green tea extract supplementation does not affect fat absorption, resting energy expenditure, and body composition in adults.

BACKGROUND: Green tea (GT) extract may play a role in body weight regulation. Suggested mechanisms are decreased fat absorption and increased energy expenditure. OBJECTIVE: We examined whether GT supplementation for 12 wk has beneficial effects on weight control via a reduction in dietary lipid absorption as well as an increase in resting energy expenditure (REE). METHODS: Sixty Caucasian men and women [BMI (in kg/m²): 18-25 or >25; age: 18-50 y] were included in a randomized placebo-controlled study in which fecal energy content (FEC), fecal fat content (FFC), resting energy expenditure, respiratory quotient (RQ), body composition, and physical activity were measured twice (baseline vs. week 12). For 12 wk, subjects consumed either GT (>0.56 g/d epigallocatechin gallate + 0.28-0.45 g/d caffeine) or placebo capsules. Before the measurements, subjects recorded energy intake for 4 consecutive days and collected feces for 3 consecutive days. RESULTS: No significant differences between groups and no significant changes over time were observed for the measured variables. Overall means ± SDs were 7.2 ± 3.8 g/d, 6.1 ± 1.2 MJ/d, 67.3 ± 14.3 kg, and 29.8 ± 8.6% for FFC, REE, body weight, and body fat percentage, respectively. CONCLUSION: GT supplementation for 12 wk in 60 men and women did not have a significant effect on FEC, FFC, REE, RQ, and body composition.

The role of catechol-O-methyl transferase Val(108/158)Met polymorphism (rs4680) in the effect of green tea on resting energy expenditure and fat oxidation: a pilot study.

INTRODUCTION: Green tea(GT) is able to increase energy expenditure(EE) and fat oxidation(FATox) via inhibition of catechol-O-methyl transferase(COMT) by catechins. However, this does not always appear unanimously because of large inter-individual variability. This may be explained by different alleles of the functional COMT Val108/158Met polymorphism that are associated with COMT enzyme activity; high-activity enzyme, COMT(H)(Val/Val genotype), and low-activity COMT(L)(Met/Met genotype). METHODS: Fourteen Caucasian subjects (BMI: 22.2±2.3 kg/m2, age: 21.4±2.2 years) of whom 7 with the COMT(H)-genotype and 7 with the COMT(L)-genotype were included in a randomized, cross-over study in which EE and substrate oxidation were measured with a ventilated-hood system after decaffeinated GT and placebo(PL) consumption. RESULTS: At baseline, EE, RQ, FATox and carbohydrate oxidation(CHOox) did not differ between groups. Significant interactions were observed between COMT genotypes and treatment for RQ, FATox and CHOox (p<0.05). After GT vs. PL, EE(GT: 62.2 vs. PL: 35.4 kJ.3.5 hrs; p<0.01), RQ(GT: 0.80 vs. PL: 0.83; p<0.01), FATox(GT: 18.3 vs. PL: 15.3 g/d; p<0.001) and CHOox(GT: 18.5 vs. PL: 24.3 g/d; p<0.001) were significantly different for subjects carrying the COMT(H) genotype, but not for subjects carrying the COMT(L) genotype (EE, GT: 60.3 vs. PL: 51.7 kJ.3.5 hrs; NS), (RQ, GT: 0.81 vs. PL: 0.81; NS), (FATox, GT: 17.3 vs. PL: 17.0 g/d; NS), (CHOox, GT: 22.1 vs. PL: 21.4 g/d; NS). CONCLUSION: Subjects carrying the COMT(H) genotype increased energy expenditure and fat-oxidation upon ingestion of green tea catechins vs, placebo, whereas COMT(L) genotype carriers reacted similarly to GT and PL ingestion. The differences in responses were due to the different responses on PL ingestion, but similar responses to GT ingestion, pointing to different mechanisms. The different alleles of the functional COMT Val108/158Met polymorphism appear to play a role in the inter-individual variability for EE and FATox after GT treatment. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Nederlands Trial register NTR1918.

Capsaicin increases sensation of fullness in energy balance, and decreases desire to eat after dinner in negative energy balance.

Addition of capsaicin (CAPS) to the diet has been shown to increase satiety; therefore, CAPS is of interest for anti-obesity therapy. We investigated the effects of CAPS on appetite profile and ad libitum energy intake in relation to energy balance. Fifteen subjects (seven women and eight men, age: 29.7 ± 10.8yrs, BMI: 23.3 ± 2.9 kg/m(2)) underwent four conditions in a randomized crossover design in 36 hour sessions in a respiration chamber; they received 100% of their daily energy requirements in the conditions "100%Control" and "100%CAPS", and 75% of their daily energy requirements in the conditions "75%Control" and "75%CAPS", followed by an ad libitum dinner. In the 100%CAPS and 75%CAPS conditions, CAPS was given at a dose of 2.56 mg (1.03 g of red chili pepper, 39,050 Scoville heat units) with every meal. Satiety (P < 0.05) and fullness (P = 0.01) were measured every waking hour and before and after every meal using visual analogue scales, and were higher in the 100%CAPS versus 100%Control condition. After dinner desire to eat, satiety and fullness did not differ between 75%CAPS and 100%Control, while desire to eat was higher (P < 0.05) and satiety (P = 0.06) and fullness (P = 0.06) tended to be lower in the 75%Control versus 100%Control condition. Furthermore, ad libitum intake (P = 0.07) and overconsumption (P = 0.06) tended to decrease in 100%CAPS versus 100%Control. In energy balance, addition of capsaicin to the diet increases satiety and fullness, and tends to prevent overeating when food intake is ad libitum. After dinner, capsaicin prevents the effects of the negative energy balance on desire to eat.

Acute effects of capsaicin on energy expenditure and fat oxidation in negative energy balance.

BACKGROUND: Addition of capsaicin (CAPS) to the diet has been shown to increase energy expenditure; therefore capsaicin is an interesting target for anti-obesity therapy. AIM: We investigated the 24 h effects of CAPS on energy expenditure, substrate oxidation and blood pressure during 25% negative energy balance. METHODS: Subjects underwent four 36 h sessions in a respiration chamber for measurements of energy expenditure, substrate oxidation and blood pressure. They received 100% or 75% of their daily energy requirements in the conditions '100%CAPS', '100%Control', '75%CAPS' and '75%Control'. CAPS was given at a dose of 2.56 mg (1.03 g of red chili pepper, 39,050 Scoville heat units (SHU)) with every meal. RESULTS: An induced negative energy balance of 25% was effectively a 20.5% negative energy balance due to adapting mechanisms. Diet-induced thermogenesis (DIT) and resting energy expenditure (REE) at 75%CAPS did not differ from DIT and REE at 100%Control, while at 75%Control these tended to be or were lower than at 100%Control (p = 0.05 and p = 0.02 respectively). Sleeping metabolic rate (SMR) at 75%CAPS did not differ from SMR at 100%CAPS, while SMR at 75%Control was lower than at 100%CAPS (p = 0.04). Fat oxidation at 75%CAPS was higher than at 100%Control (p = 0.03), while with 75%Control it did not differ from 100%Control. Respiratory quotient (RQ) was more decreased at 75%CAPS (p = 0.04) than at 75%Control (p = 0.05) when compared with 100%Control. Blood pressure did not differ between the four conditions. CONCLUSION: In an effectively 20.5% negative energy balance, consumption of 2.56 mg capsaicin per meal supports negative energy balance by counteracting the unfavorable negative energy balance effect of decrease in components of energy expenditure. Moreover, consumption of 2.56 mg capsaicin per meal promotes fat oxidation in negative energy balance and does not increase blood pressure significantly. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Nederlands Trial Register; registration number NTR2944.

Addition of capsaicin and exchange of carbohydrate with protein counteract energy intake restriction effects on fullness and energy expenditure.

Energy intake restriction causes a yo-yo effect by decreasing energy expenditure (EE) and decreasing fullness. We investigated the 24-h effect of protein and capsaicin, singly or combined, on fullness and EE during 20% energy intake restriction. The 24 participants (12 male, 12 female; BMI, 25.2 ± 0.4 kg/m(2); age, 27 ± 4 y; body fat, 25.6 ± 5.7%; 3-factor eating questionnaire, F1: 6 ± 2, F2: 4 ± 2, F3: 3 ± 2) underwent eight 36-h sessions in a respiration chamber. The study had a randomized crossover design with 8 randomly sequenced conditions. The participants were fed 100 or 80% of their daily energy requirements. There were 2 control (C) conditions: 100%C and 80%C; 2 conditions with capsaicin (Caps): 100%Caps and 80%Caps; 2 conditions with elevated protein (P): 100%P and 80%P; and 2 conditions with a mixture of protein and capsaicin (PCaps): 100%PCaps and 80%PCaps. Appetite profile, EE, and substrate oxidation were monitored. Compared with 100%C, the 80%C group had expected negative energy-balance effects with respect to total EE, diet-induced thermogenesis, and fullness, whereas the 80%Caps diet counteracted these effects, and the 80%P and 80%PCaps diets exceeded these effects (P < 0.01). In energy balance and negative energy balance, fat balance was more negative in the 80%Caps, P, and PCaps groups than in the 80%C group (P < 0.05) and respiratory quotient values were lower. A negative protein balance was prevented with the 80%P and 80%PCaps diets compared with the 80%C diet. Our results suggest that protein and capsaicin, consumed singly or mixed, counteracted the energy intake restriction effects on fullness and EE. During energy restriction, protein and capsaicin promoted a negative fat balance and protein treatments also prevented a negative protein balance.