Smart Supplementation

Reducing Abdominal Fat with Licorice Flavonoid Extract

Excess body fat around the waist (abdominal and visceral fat; "having an apple shape") is not only undesirable from a cosmetic/fitness standpoint, but it can also be characteristic of metabolic syndrome-a cluster of conditions that occur together, increasing your risk of heart disease, stroke and diabetes[i]-which is estimated to be present in 76 million U.S. adults aged age 20 and older.[ii]  Consequently, there are many good reasons for reducing abdominal fat.  Of course a sensible program that includes dietary modification and exercise is absolutely required for the success of any weight loss program.  In addition, the process of reducing abdominal fat can be significantly augmented with the use glabridin as a component of licorice flavonoid oil.

Let's face it, virtually anyone with excess abdominal/visceral fat would like to lose it and shrink his/her waist to look better and to prevent metabolic syndrome. If fact, people spend literally over 100 billion dollars annually on weight loss products.[iii] Unfortunately, the vast majority of those people have minimal success in the first instance, and then tend to gain back what ever weight they've lost. One of the reasons for this is that they are using products that are not formulated to achieve the desired result.  Abdominal/visceral fat is not likely to respond well to common thermogenic/fat-burner products. In fact, only one natural product has been shown to significantly reduce abdominal/visceral fat. That product is glabridin.

Glabridin comes from the roots of licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra L.), a plant with thousands of years of safe and effective use. Glabridin is a potent antioxidant and a flavonoid molecule (flavonoids are found in many plants throughout nature).[iv]

In one study[v], obese mice were fed on a high-fat diet containing glabridin-rich licorice flavonoid oil (LFO) for eight weeks, while another group of mice (the "control" group) did not receive LFO. Compared with mice in the control group, those given LFO significantly reduced their body weight and their abdominal/visceral fat. Scientists discovered that the fat cells of those mice treated with LFO had become smaller. This exciting development indicated that the fat cells wouldn't be storing as much fat again. Furthermore, an examination of the mice's DNA (cellular "blueprint") in the liver showed an increase in the activity of those genes responsible for burning fat (also called "beta-oxidation") and a reduction in the activity of genes responsible for building up new fat. Another LFO study on mice showed similar results.[vi]  Again, this was an exciting development suggesting that continued use of LFO would not only burn away existing fat, but help prevent new fat formation. Of course the real proof of the pudding is in human research, not animal research-and in the case of LFO, human clinical research has been conducted.

In an 8-week study, 84 overweight individuals received 900 mg daily of LFO or a placebo (a "fake" pill).  The results were that those taking the LFO were found to have significantly decreased body weight, body mass index (BMI), and abdominal fat-essentially the same type of results experienced in the mice study.  By contrast, the placebo group experienced no such benefits.  In this same study, as little as 300 mg of LFO was found to help reduce fat mass. This study offered proof that LFO is effective and reducing abdominal/visceral fat in humans.

Other human research also supports the effectiveness and safety of LFO. In another placebo-controlled, double-blind, 12-week study, 300 mg of LFO or placebo was taken daily by a total of 103 overweight subjects.  The results were that body weight increased in the placebo group, but not in the LFO group.[vii] Furthermore, in other research LFO has been shown to be safe when administered once daily up to 1200 mg daily.[viii] Based on these findings these human studies it was shown that LFO is a safe ingredient for long-term use, with potential weight-reducing effects.

Note: Complementary Prescriptions (http://www.cpmedical.net/) carries a product called Glabrinex which provides LFO.

References

[i] Mayo Clinic Staff. Metabolic syndrome. Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. Nov. 7, 2007. Retrieved October 1, 2009 from http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/metabolic%20syndrome/DS00522.

[ii] Statistical Fact Sheet - Risk Factors 2009 Update: Metabolic Syndrome - Statistics. American Heart Association; 2009. Retrieved October 1, 2009 from http://www.americanheart.org/downloadable/heart/1236355725579METABOLIC.pdf.

[iii] Weight Loss Markets: Products, Services, Foods and Beverages. BCC Research. December 1, 2003. 305 Pages - Pub ID: WA952808.

[iv] Shibata S. A drug over the millennia: pharmacognosy, chemistry, and pharmacology of licorice. Yakugaku Zasshi 2000; 120:849-862.

[v] Aoki F, Honda S, Kishida H, Kitano M, Arai N, Tanaka H, Yokota S, Nakagawa K, Asakura T, Nakai Y, Mae T. Suppression by licorice flavonoids of abdominal fat accumulation and body weight gain in high-fat diet-induced obese C57BL/6J mice. Biosci Biotechnol Biochem 2007;71(1):206-14.

[vi] Nakagawa K, Kishida H, Arai N, Nishiyama T, Mae T. Licorice flavonoids suppress abdominal fat accumulation and increase in blood glucose level in obese diabetic KK-A(y) mice. Biol Pharm Bull 2004;27(11):1775-8.

[vii] Yuji T, Tatsumasa M, Mitsuaki K, et al. Licorice flavonoid oil effects body weight loss by reduction of body fat mass in overweight subjects. Journal of health science 2006;52(6):672-683.

[viii] Aoki F, Nakagawa K, Kitano M, Ikematsu H, Nakamura K, Yokota S, Tominaga Y, Arai N, Mae T. Clinical safety of licorice flavonoid oil (LFO) and pharmacokinetics of glabridin in healthy humans. J Am Coll Nutr 2007;26(3):209-18.