A botanical extract marketed as Metabolaid by Monteloeder was shown in a recent double-blind, placebo-controlled human intervention study to increase satiety and reduce food cravings.
 
Supplementation with the nutraceutical, comprised of extracts of Hibiscus sabdariffa and Lippia citriodora, was studied among overweight participants in the study, which appeared in the European Journal of Nutrition. The authors theorized that the high polyphenol content of the 500 mg/day supplement, when administered for 60 days, would have an effect on the sensation of appetite compared to placebo. The study began by administering a placebo to 33 overweight participants for 60 days before switching to the supplementation period for the same amount of time, separated by a 30-day washout period.
 
“Scientific literature has shown that certain plant-derived extracts such as Hibiscus sabdariffa, Lippia citriodora extracts can modulate different metabolic pathways and activating the AMPK pathway which favor lipolysis and, therefore, fat loss, an enzyme complex considered as a cellular energy detector that helps energy balance of the cell and the total consumption of kilocalories,” the authors wrote.
 
According to participants’ self-reporting, a significant decrease in appetite sensation was detected during several hours after a meal, coinciding with increased satiety, and resulting in less food intake for the Metabolaid group compared to placebo. Supplementation also resulted in a decrease in leptin levels, while GLP-1, a compound which helps induce satiety, had increased.
 
Furthermore, the group taking Metabolaid experienced significant decreases in LDL cholesterol, increases in HDL cholesterol, and decreased fat mass following the 60-day study period, which resulted from a combination of decreased appetite sensation, a marked reduction in calorie intake, and improved lipidemic profile.
 
Future research should uncover any potential effect that the combination of herbal extracts could have on hormone regulation as a mechanism of action behind the observed satiety and metabolic improvements, the authors said.
 
“Despite the variation reported on hunger-related hormones, the present study was focused on satiety sensation but not on hormone regulation. Therefore, it would be interesting to develop future research with more appropriate methodology and focused on the variation of the hormones themselves as main research parameter,” they wrote.
 
“We are thrilled to see the positive results of this study, which further enable us to confidently deliver a proven solution that provides the added support that so many consumers need right now in helping to keep hunger in check and effectively manage healthy weight,” Dr. Jonathan Jones, chief scientific officer at Monteloeder, said. “Previous studies of Metabolaid have demonstrated its efficacy in activating AMPK, supporting healthy weight and blood pressure, and optimizing lipid metabolism. These latest positive conclusions on satiety provide additional validation for Metabolaid as an effective natural ingredient for weight management and active lifestyle supplements.”