N-oleyl-phosphatidyl-ethanolamine & EGCG combo makes weight-loss diet easier
PhosphoLean, a patented combination of the tea flavonoid EGCG and N-oleyl-phosphatidyl ethanolamine, may actually work. You can infer this from a human study that sports scientists at the University of Central Florida published in Lipids in Health and Disease. The combination makes it easier to stick to a weight-loss diet. But you probably have to take a higher dose than the one the researchers tested.
Chemi Nutra [cheminutra.com] markets a cocktail of N-oleyl-phosphatidyl-ethanolamine and EGCG as PhosphoLean. The most important ingredient is N-oleyl-phosphatidyl-ethanolamine, which after a bit of molecular snipping during digestion is converted into oleoyl-ethanolamine, the structural formula of which is shown below.
The theory behind PhosphoLean is the oleyl-ethanolamine attaches itself to the cannabinoid type 1 receptor in the body. By doing so it hinders the neurotransmitter anandamide – aka N-arachidonyl-ethanolamine [structural formula shown below] – from interacting with the receptor.
The forbidden slimming drug rimonabant, that was traded for a year under the name of Acomplia, works in the same way, suppressing the appetite. In August 2008 rimonabant was outlawed in the EU after it became clear that the drug could cause depression. The FDA in the US never allowed rimonabant onto the market.
EGCG itself is an interesting slimming supplement, but that’s not the only reason that Chemi Nutra combined it with N-oleyl-phosphatidyl-ethanolamine. Researchers suspect that EGCG protects N-oleyl-phosphatidyl-ethanolamine against attacks from enzymes, so that the body can absorb more oleoyl-ethanolamine.
In 2009 nutritionists at the University of Pavia published the results of a human study on the combined effect of N-oleyl-phosphatidyl-ethanolamine and EGCG. [Br J Nutr. 2009 Feb; 101(3): 457-64.]
Test subjects who took a supplement containing this combination and also followed a diet lost 3.28 kg, and subjects who took a placebo and followed the same diet lost 2.67 kg. The difference between the groups was not statistically significant, however. The supplement did reduce hunger and – contrary to what you might expect – feelings of depression.
In the study carried out at the University of Central Florida, the subjects were given advice on diet and exercise – and supplements. The supplements given to the placebo group [PLA] contained rice flour; those given to the experimental group [SUP] contained 40 mg N-oleyl-phosphatidyl-ethanolamine, 35 mg EGCG and 25 mg ‘mixed phospholids’ per capsule. The subjects took three capsules daily, half an hour before meals.
The first figure below shows that the experimental group managed to lose weight during the eight weeks that the experiment lasted. The difference between the experimental group and the placebo group was not statistically significant, however.
Bear in mind though that the number of subjects was small: there were only 32.
The researchers also asked the subjects several times about how they were feeling. The table above shows that the supplementation did not increase feelings of depression. In fact there was a tendency among the subjects who took the combination of EGCG and N-oleyl-phosphatidyl-ethanolamine to feel better. These differences were statistically significant when measured in week 4 and week 8.
“A daily ingestion of a proprietary blend of 120 mg of NOPE and 105 mg of EGCG can enhance compliance to a low caloric diet, total mood score, feelings of fatigue, and confusion for 4-weeks, with improved feelings of tension thereafter”, the researchers conclude. “However, it does not have any significant effects on weight loss, changes in body composition, feelings of hunger, and binge eating in a group of healthy, overweight adults. The dose used in this study may have resulted in some degree of habituation following 4-weeks of supplementation.”
The study was funded by Chemi Nutra.
The effect of a dietary supplement (N-oleyl-phosphatidyl-ethanolamine and epigallocatechin gallate) on dietary compliance and body fat loss in adults who are overweight: a double-blind, randomized control trial.
Mangine GT, Gonzalez AM, Wells AJ, McCormack WP, Fragala MS, Stout JR, Hoffman JR.
Source
Sport and Exercise Science, University of Central Florida, 4000 Central Florida Blvd, Orlando, FL 32816, USA.
Abstract
BACKGROUND:
A dietary supplement containing a blend of 170?mg of N-oleyl-phosphatidylethanolamine (NOPE) and 100?mg of epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) has been shown to improve compliance to low caloric diets. Considering the cost of dietary ingredients, many manufacturers attempt to determine the lowest efficacious dose. Thus, the purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of 8-weeks of supplementation with a daily intake of 120?mg of NOPE and 105?mg of EGCG in conjunction with a low caloric diet and regular, moderate exercise on dietary compliance in healthy, overweight adults. An additional purpose was to examine the effect of this supplement/diet/exercise paradigm on changes in body composition, sensation of appetite, mood and severity of binge eating.
METHODS:
Fifty healthy, overweight (BMI?>?25?m·kg²) men (15) and women (35) (SUP; n?=?25; 32.7?±?13.75 y; BMI?=?33.4?±?6.2; PLA; n?=?25, 34.3?±?12.7?years; BMI?=?33.2?±?6.8) were recruited for a double-blind, placebo controlled study. Each volunteer was randomly assigned to either the supplement (SUP; n?=?25) or placebo group (PLA; n?=?25). Based upon a self-reported 3-day dietary recall all volunteers were recommended a 500?kcal or 30% (maximum of 1000?kcal) reduction in caloric intake. Volunteers were also encouraged to exercise 30?minutes per day, three times per week.
RESULTS:
Subjects in SUP were significantly more compliant (x²?=?3.86, p?=?0.049) in maintaining a low caloric diet at week 4, but this was not able to be maintained through the 8-week study. In addition, a significant difference in mood, feelings of fatigue and confusion were noted between the groups at week 4, but again not maintained by week 8 where only feelings of tension were improved. No differences between groups (p?>?0.05) were observed for body mass, body composition, feelings of hunger, and binge eating after eight weeks.
CONCLUSION:
Supplementing with a combination of 120?mg of NOPE and 105?mg of EGCG does appear to enhance compliance to a low caloric diet and improve mood for 4 -weeks, but loses its effectiveness by week 8.
PMID: 23033919 [PubMed – in process]
PMCID: PMC3490828
Source: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23033919
