Multivitamins May Help Weight Loss in Obese Women
Lee Swanson Reserach Update
Ninety-six obese women aged between 18 and 55 were recruited to participate in the study, with 87 completing the 26 weeks of intervention. Women were randomly assigned to one of three groups: One received a multivitamin and mineral supplement; the second received a calcium supplement (162 mg per day); and the third received an identical placebo.
Led by Professor C.H. Sun from the Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene at Harbin Medical University, the Chinese researchers reported that the multivitamin and mineral group lost an average of 3.6 kg of body weight, compared to 0.9 kg and 0.2 kg for the calcium and placebo groups, respectively.
In addition, significant reductions in BMI and waist circumference were observed in the multivitamin and mineral group, while the changes in the other groups were not significant. On the other hand, only the calcium group experienced cholesterol improvements, with HDL levels increasing and LDL levels decreasing, compared to the placebo group.
Describing their reason for initiating the study researchers stated: "Obese individuals are more likely to have either lower blood concentrations or lower bioavailability of minerals and/or vitamins. However, there are limited data on the effects of nutritional supplementation on body weight (BW) control, energy homeostasis and lipid metabolism in obese subjects. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effects of supplementation with multivitamins and multiminerals on adiposity, energy expenditure and lipid profiles in obese Chinese women."
At the completion of the study, Chinese researchers said: "The results suggest that, in obese individuals, multivitamin and mineral supplementation could reduce body weight and fatness and improve serum lipid profiles, possibly through increased energy expenditure and fat oxidation."
International Journal of Obesity Published online ahead of print.
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March 2010