Effect on Weight Loss of an Oral Supplement Containing Cinnamon Bark ( Cinnamomum cassia ) and Withania somnifera in Adult Patients with Overweight and Obesity: A Pilot Study

Mikiko Watanabe, Alessandro Laviano (), Angela Balena, Angelo Vitaterna, Emiliano Angeloni, Raffaella Toscano, Giuseppe Natoli, Carla Lubrano and Lucio Gnessi
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Mikiko Watanabe: Department of Experimental Medicine, Section of Medical Pathophysiology, Food Science and Endocrinology, Sapienza University, 00161 Rome, Italy
Alessandro Laviano: Department of Translational and Precision Medicine, Sapienza University, 00185 Rome, Italy
Angela Balena: Department of Experimental Medicine, Section of Medical Pathophysiology, Food Science and Endocrinology, Sapienza University, 00161 Rome, Italy
Angelo Vitaterna: AVR Clinic, 03100 Frosinone, Italy
Emiliano Angeloni: Cardiac Surgery Department, Sapienza University, 00189 Rome, Italy
Raffaella Toscano: Department of Experimental Medicine, Section of Medical Pathophysiology, Food Science and Endocrinology, Sapienza University, 00161 Rome, Italy
Giuseppe Natoli: Department of Internal Medicine, National Relevance and High Specialization Hospital Trust ARNAS Civico Di Cristina Benfratelli, 90127 Palermo, Italy
Carla Lubrano: Department of Experimental Medicine, Section of Medical Pathophysiology, Food Science and Endocrinology, Sapienza University, 00161 Rome, Italy
Lucio Gnessi: Department of Experimental Medicine, Section of Medical Pathophysiology, Food Science and Endocrinology, Sapienza University, 00161 Rome, Italy

J, 2023, vol. 6, issue 3, 1-9

Abstract: With the prevalence of obesity soaring and the absence of an effective and safe treatment that is low-cost and always feasible, food supplements have gained attention for their potential benefits in the absence of significant safety concerns. Cinnamomum cassia (CC) and Withania somnifera (WS) are plant-based supplements reported to be effective in improving metabolic health and body composition, the first mainly acting on insulin resistance and the second on energy expenditure and leptin resistance, as shown in preclinical and some clinical studies. Their combination, which is possibly synergistic given their different mechanisms of action, has never been studied. This was a double-blind placebo-controlled study. Patients with overweight or obesity were prescribed a mildly hypocaloric diet with 300 mg CC plus 150 mg WS tid for 4 weeks in a crossover design; anthropometric parameters and safety outcomes were collected. Forty patients were enrolled, and the combination CC + WS induced significant weight loss compared with placebo (−2.66% vs. −1.28%, respectively; p = 0.0002). No significant adverse events were recorded. Our study demonstrates for the first time that the tested combination is an inexpensive yet effective strategy to enhance weight loss in patients receiving a mildly hypocaloric diet. Further studies are warranted to investigate the mechanisms underlying the weight loss effect of CC/WS in human subjects, as well as to explore potential additional metabolic effects obtained with this treatment.

Keywords: food supplements; botanicals; metabolic syndrome; nutraceuticals; phytotherapy (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I1 I10 I12 I13 I14 I18 I19 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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