Xanthigen® Targets Weight Management Via Healthy Liver Support

Xanthigen supplement creates a new class of weight management ingredients, improving liver function for weight loss, reduced body and liver fat, and energy expenditure

Jan 21, 2010 Morristown, NJ & Las Palamas, Canary Islands P.L. Thomas and PoliNat today announce the publication of a new study demonstrating Xanthigen’s benefits in weight management. Published in the current issue of Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism (12: 72–81, 2010), Xanthigen is the first supplement targeting liver health and metabolism in the role of weight loss management and energy expenditure.

Xanthigen is a novel, patent-pending, synergistic composition of pomegranate oil standardized for punicic acid and brown sea weed extract standardized for fucoxanthin.

“Xanthigen offers a unique mechanism for “unloading” the triglycerides from the liver in patients with obesity and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) which improves metabolism, lowers body fat and lowers body weight,” stated PL Thomas’ Director of Medical & Scientific Affairs, Vladimir Badmaev, MD, PhD.

“The liver acts as a filter in the body and once it is ‘clogged’ with fat it cannot function properly, a condition clearly linked with fat accumulation in other tissues and obesity. This clinical study strongly suggests ‘unclogging’ the liver may be essential in fighting obesity, and not addressing the liver’s role in fat metabolism may be the reason why so many weight-management programs fail, given that up to 75% of obese patients have fatty liver disease.”

A summary of the key findings in the study includes:

• The NAFLD group lost on average 15.2 lbs ((over the full term of the study))
• The placebo group lost only 3 lbs even on an 1800 daily calorie restricted diet (all groups were on the 1800 kcal per day diet).
• Xanthigen demonstrated a significant reduction in waist circumference when compared to the placebo.
• In the resting metabolic rate study a significant increase in metabolic rate was seen (on average an 18% increase).
• No significant adverse events were reported during the 16 week study further supporting the non-stimulating effect of Xanthigen.

The sixteen-week, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study was conducted with a total of 151 obese, non-diabetic volunteers; 75% had non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD, n=113) while the remainder had normal liver function (NLF, n=38). 600mg of Xanthigen was taken (200mg three times daily with meals), and the participants were restricted to 1800 kcal daily, comprised of 50% carbohydrates, 30% protein and 20% fat.

Statistically significant reduction of body weight (5.5 ± 1.4 kg NAFLD group and 4.9 ± 1.2 kg NLF group, p < 0.05), waist circumference (NAFLD group only), body and liver fat content, liver enzymes (NAFLD group only), serum triglycerides (NAFLD group only) and C-reactive protein were seen at the end of the trial.

Interestingly, weight loss and reduction in body and liver fat content occurred earlier in participants with normal liver function than in participants with NAFLD, possibly demonstrating the trauma and subsequent recovery of liver function. Finally, Xanthigen starting at 400mg daily also significantly increased resting energy expenditure in NAFLD subjects compared to placebo.

The results of the study were also presented at International Conference organized by ISNFF at San Francisco, CA in November 2009.

Additional clinical studies are under development to further elucidate the mechanisms and benefits of Xanthigen.

For more information, contact Eric Anderson at PL Thomas, 973-984-0900 x 215.

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About PL Thomas
PL Thomas, a New Jersey-based ingredient supplier, offers fifty years of innovation in securing reliable, high quality raw materials for the food/functional food and nutrition industries. PLT is a one-stop resource for application solutions, current industry information and technical service, and specializes in clinically-supported botanical extracts. www.plthomas.com