Herbalife, a global nutrition company, released data from a clinical study it conducted in partnership with Taipei Medical University, which showed that the combination of meal replacement, fish oil and a calorie-restricted diet led to effective weight management and improvements in metabolic syndrome among participants in the study.

This is the first clinical study of its kind in Taiwan, and results show that over a 12-week period, participants lost, on average, 4.5 kg in weight, 6.5 cm in waist circumference, and had a 2.5% reduction in body fat percentage. In addition, the fasting blood glucose level, the triglyceride level, and the low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDLc) level were also controlled by this method.

This clinical study recruited 188 volunteer patients with metabolic syndrome in Taiwan. They were randomly assigned to one of four groups: “calorie restricted diet”; “calorie restricted diet with meal replacement”; “calorie restricted diet with fish oil”; and “calorie restricted diet with meal replacement and fish oil” groups to conduct a controlled diet and were observed over a 12-week period. 179 participants successfully completed the study.

The research results showed that, on average, the participants of the “calorie restricted diet with fish oil” group lost 4.5 kg in weight, 6.5 cm in waist circumference, and had a 2.5% reduction in the body fat percentage. Furthermore, in comparison with the other three groups, it was found that the “calorie restricted diet with meal replacement and fish oil” also experienced an improvement and stability in the levels of fasting blood glucose, triglycerides, LDLc, and the blood pressure with improvement in the overall metabolic syndrome.

David Heber, MD, PhD, FACP, FASN, chairman of the Herbalife Nutrition Institute and the Nutrition Advisory Board, said, “Metabolic syndrome is a common condition affecting between 20-30% of middle-aged adults in many countries. It is characterized by increases in waist circumference, fasting blood sugar, cholesterol, and blood pressure. Metabolic syndrome increases the risk of diabetes and heart disease. Among Asians, this condition is increasingly common even at normal body weights.”

“The clinical research conducted in partnership between Herbalife and Taipei Medical University is an important study that demonstrates the effectiveness of combining meal replacement and omega-3 fatty acids for weight management plan in subjects with metabolic syndrome. Obesity and the consequent metabolic syndrome, poses significant physical and economic burdens, with Asia being the epicenter of this global epidemic. It is encouraging to see what we believe to be meaningful information to help delay or even prevent the development of serious health problems by improving metabolic syndrome. This study and other research conducted by the company are Herbalife’s contribution to help combat the global obesity epidemic.”

The results from the study have been published in the “Journal of Functional Foods”, a well-known journal in the food science research field, and the “European Journal of Clinical Nutrition”, an internationally renowned nutrition journal.