Abstract
BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to assess the effects of supplementation with flaxseed on anthropometric measurements, lipid profile, insulin resistance, and inflammatory biomarkers in overweight and obese adults. METHODS: Fifty overweight and obese adults with body mass index (BMI) of 30.72 ± 3.31 kg/m2 participated in this study. Participants were randomly assigned to take lifestyle advice or lifestyle advice plus 30 g/day milled flaxseed for 12 weeks. The primary outcome was body weight; secondary outcomes included other anthropometric parameters, lipid profile and inflammatory biomarkers. RESULTS: At the end of the study, the following significant mean differences were seen in flaxseed and control groups, respectively: weight [-9.36 vs. -3.09 kg; P < 0.001], BMI [-3.34 vs. -1.2 kg/m2; P < 0.001], triglyceride [-62.88 vs. -9.85 mg/dL; P < 0.001], total cholesterol [-32.2 vs. -14.95; P = 0.04], homeostatic model assessment (HOMA-IR) [1.25 vs. -0.32; P = 0.024], high sensitive- C reactive protein [-2.2 vs. -1.01 mmol/L; P < 0.001] and tumor necrosis factor-α [-1.34 vs. -0.14 Pg/mL; P = 0.005]. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that flaxseed supplementation in addition to lifestyle modification is significantly superior to lifestyle modification alone for weight loss. More studies with different dosages of flaxseed are needed to find the optimal dosage.
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