Key Findings
Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is involved in metabolic disorders such as type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. A 12 week randomized controlled clinical trial was designed to assess efficacy of flaxseed supplementation as an adjunct intervention to healthy lifestyle modification on the management of MetS. This open-labeled intervention showed that the combination of 30 g/day of flaxseed with lifestyle modification is more effective than the lifestyle modification alone in reducing MetS. Flaxseed supplementation also reduced insulin resistance significantly, which may be due to its high content of fiber. The flaxseed supplementation was found to positively affect central obesity as well.
ABSTRACT
The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of flaxseed supplementation plus lifestyle modification in comparison with lifestyle modification alone in the management of metabolic syndrome (MetS). A randomized controlled clinical trial was conducted on 44 patients with MetS. Participants were assigned to receive either the lifestyle advice and 30-g brown milled flaxseed daily or only the lifestyle advice as the control group. The percentage of individuals with MetS decreased from baseline by 50% and 82% in the control and intervention group, respectively. The reversion rate of central obesity was higher in the flaxseed group (36%) than control group (13%). Moreover, greater reduction in insulin resistance was observed in flaxseed group in comparison with control group (p < 0.001). Body weight, waist circumference, and body mass index decreased significantly in both groups with a significantly greater reduction in flaxseed group in comparison with controls (p < 0.05). There were no significant changes in blood pressure in any groups. Our results indicate that co-administration of flaxseed with lifestyle modification is more effective than lifestyle modification alone in management of MetS; whether these effects will be sustained with longer treatment durations remains to be determined.
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