Bitter hop nutraceutical stimulates fat mass loss while preserving muscle mass in a cohort of individuals with overweight or obesity receiving diet and exercise advice.

BACKGROUND

Diet and exercise advice are routinely the primary interventions given for weight loss; however, frequently result in poor weight loss outcomes. While modern pharmaceuticals are highly effective, there exists a need for a non-pharmaceutical adjunct therapy for lifestyle change-mediated weight loss. Recently, the gastrointestinal delivery of a bitter hop-based nutraceutical has been shown to stimulate increases in glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) and cholecystokinin (CCK). Our aim was to determine if this same bitter hop nutraceutical is an effective adjunct therapy during prescribed weight loss programs.

METHODS

This was a randomized, double-blind, parallel treatment study. One hundred and fifty adult males and females were recruited and required to undertake a 24-week weight loss program consisting of monthly lifestyle advice group seminars. Daily treatments of either placebo or 500 mg of a bitter hop extract (BHE) were given to the participants, who were instructed to take half the daily dose at least 1 h before the two major meals of the day. Body weight, bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) of body composition, and subjective appetite and craving measures were taken every four weeks.

RESULTS

One hundred and twenty-eight participants completed the program. The BHE treatment group exhibited a greater reduction in weight (3.8%) and fat mass (3.9 kg) after 24 weeks when compared to placebo control (p < 0.05), and a total reduction of 4.3% body weight and 4.5 kg fat mass when compared to baseline values (p < 0.05). There was a proportionally similar reduction in BIA-estimated visceral fat area in the BHE treatment group relative to the placebo control (p < 0.05), and neither group exhibited any loss in BIA-estimated skeletal muscle mass.

CONCLUSION

These data suggest that appetite suppressing nutraceuticals may be a useful adjunct therapy for individuals receiving lifestyle change advice for the purpose of weight loss. Australia and New Zealand Clinical Trial Registry (ANZCTR- ACTRN12625001011471).