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Daily Sorghum Tea Reduces Human Body Fat and Plasma Glucose: A Clinical Investigation of the Efficacy and Safety of Long-term Intake
Abstract
Background: Several health foods are available in the market for their ability to mitigate modern high-calorie diets. Coffee and many kinds of teas are expected to reduce calories and help control body weight because these beverages contain rich polyphenols (tannins, flavonoids and catechins). Sorghum tea is available in the market as such a beverage, but there is little literature about its health benefits. The aim of this study was to explore the favourable human health effects and to confirm the safety of drinking sorghum tea daily.
Methods: This study compared indexes about human health before and after a 90-day trial of drinking of 1 L of sorghum tea each day in five women and four men.
Results: The mean changes after the long-term intake of sorghum tea were −0.2 kg/m2 (p = 0.45) for body mass index, −2.0 % (p = 0.01) for percent body fat and −6.6 mg/dL (p < 0.01) for fasting plasma glucose. No severe adverse events were reported.
Conclusions: We observed a statistically non-significant reduction in body mass index and statistically significant reductions in percent body fat and fasting plasma glucose levels after a 90-day trial of drinking sorghum tea daily. These results illuminate a new use for sorghum tea as a beverage to control body fat and plasma glucose.
Introduction:
Sorghum varieties of brown pericarp are a rich source of natural antioxidants, among which procyanidins stand out. Currently there is little information on the relationship between the degree of polymerization of sorghum procyanidins and their antioxidant activity against certain free radicals, enzymes, and metals involved in the oxidation processes. For this reason, the present work intends to broaden the knowledge of the antioxidant profile of sorghum procyanidins, considering their degree of polymerization, through the determination of the antiradical (DPPH, ABTS, lipid peroxidation) and chelating ability (copper, zinc) of (+)-catechin (C), procyanidin B1 (PB1), and a procyanidin-rich fraction (PRF) isolated from brown sorghum bran.
Method:
The monomer of (+)-catechin (C) and the dimer of procyanidin B1 (PB1) were acquired from chemical suppliers, while the sorghum procyanidin-rich fraction (PRF) was isolated through a Sephadex LH-20 column, employing solvent mixtures of methanol/water and aqueous acetone. The PRF was analyzed in an ultra-high performance liquid chromatography system (UHPLC), equipped with a UV-Vis diode array detector (DAD), as well as electrospray ionization (ESI) and quadruple time of flight (QTOF) mass spectrometry (MS) detectors. Subsequently, the following analysis were determined for the monomer C, dimer PB1 and PRF: Second-order rate constants (Ks), considering the initial stage and the overall reaction with DPPH, using a stopped-flow system; the easiness to reduce the peroxidase-generated free radicals (ABTS); inhibition of lipid peroxidation in a linoleic acid emulsion, as well as the ability to chelate Cu(II) and Zn(II).
Results:
The dimer PB1 and PRF (mixture of oligomers from trimer to decamer), showed higher Ks to directly inhibit DPPH than the monomer C, and also were more effective to decrease the rates of formation of ABTS in the presence of peroxidase. However, the degree of polymerization was not a determining factor in the behavior of procyanidins to inhibit the free radicals formed during the peroxidation of linoleic acid in an emulsion system. Sorghum procyanidins showed greater ability to chelate copper than zinc, and their chelating ability was greater as the degree of polymerization increased.
Conclusions:
The kinetic behavior of sorghum procyanidins revealed that PRF possess great potential to inhibit different free radicals, as well as for chelating copper.
The cover image is based on the Review* Effect of the Herbal medicines in obesity and metabolic syndrome: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of clinical trials by Moloud Payab ** et al., https://doi.org/10.1002/ptr.6547.***
Obesity is a medical situation in which excess body fat has gathered because of imbalance between energy intake and energy expenditure. In spite of the fact that the variety of studies are available for obesity treatment and management, its “globesity” still remains a big challenge all over the world. The current systematic review and meta‐analysis aimed to evaluate the efficacy, safety, and mechanisms of effective herbal medicines in the management and treatment of obesity and metabolic syndrome in human. We systematically searched all relevant clinical trials via Web of Science, Scopus, PubMed, and the Cochrane database to assess the effects of raw or refined products derived from plants or parts of plants on obesity and metabolic syndrome in overweight and obesity adult subjects. All studies conducted by the end of May 2019 were considered in the systematic review. Data were extracted independently by two experts. The quality assessment was assessed using Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials checklist. The main outcomes were anthropometric indices and metabolic syndrome components. Pooled effect of herbal medicines on obesity and metabolic syndrome were presented as standardized mean difference (SMD) and 95% confidence interval (CI). A total of 279 relevant clinical trials were included. Herbals containing green tea, Phaseolus vulgaris, Garcinia cambogia, Nigella sativa, puerh tea, Irvingia gabonensis, and Caralluma fimbriata and their active ingredients were found to be effective in the management of obesity and metabolic syndrome. In addition, C. fimbriata, flaxseed, spinach, and fenugreek were able to reduce appetite. Meta‐analysis showed that intake of green tea resulted in a significant improvement in weight ([SMD]: −0.75 [−1.18, −0.319]), body mass index ([SMD]: −1.2 [−1.82, −0.57]), waist circumference ([SMD]: −1.71 [−2.66, −0.77]), hip circumference ([SMD]: −0.42 [−1.02, −0.19]), and total cholesterol, ([SMD]: −0.43 [−0.77, −0.09]). In addition, the intake of P. vulgaris and N. sativa resulted in a significant improvement in weight ([SMD]: −0.88, 95 % CI: [−1.13, −0.63]) and triglyceride ([SMD]: −1.67, 95 % CI: [−2.54, −0.79]), respectively. High quality trials are still needed to firmly establish the clinical efficacy of the plants in obesity and metabolic syndrome.
The shade-dried powder of leaves of Plectranthus amboinicus (Lour) Spreng was subjected to successive extraction using the various solvents (petroleum ether, chloroform, ethanol and water) in increasing order of polarity. The preliminary phytochemical analyses were carried out for all the extracts. The analyses of the leaves revealed the presence of alkaloids, carbohydrates, glycosides, proteins, amino acids, flavonoids, quinine, tannins, phenolic compounds and terpenoids. Since the phytoconstituents present in the ethanolic and aqueous extracts were similar, both the extracts were selected for further study. The diuretic properties of ethanolic and aqueous extracts were evaluated by determination of urine volume and electrolyte concentration in male albino rats. Furosemide (10 mg/kg) was used as standard while normal saline (0.9%) was used as control. Both ethanolic and aqueous extracts (500 mg/kg) have shown significant increase in the volume of urine and urinary concentration of Na, K and Cl ions. Thus, from the is study it may be concluded that the leaves of P. amboinicus (Lour) Spreng possess diuretic activities.
The feeding value of sorghum for poultry has been a subject of study for many years. Of particular interest has been tannin, an antinutritive factor present in some sorghum cultivars, its influence on bird performance and means of alleviating its effects. This paper briefly discusses antinutritive factors in feedstuffs and reviews in detail the literature on the deleterious effects of sorghum tannins on various performance parameters and on the detoxif ication methods that have been tested. Inconsistencies in the literature are highlighted.
Three preparations of Satureja montana subsp. montana leaves were tested for diuretic activity in rats: an infusion, a water-alcohol extract and essential oil. In 1-day experiments, the cumulative volume of urine was collected during the first 5 h after oral administration of 5 mL/100 g body weight of plant preparation. It was established that all the preparations tested initially caused a decrease in diuresis and subsequently a mild stimulation of diuresis. 0.1% solution of essential oil was considered to be a therapeutic dose, whereas 0.5% and 1% solutions caused toxic symptoms in the animals. A further experiment involving treatment of rats for 3 days with a 10% drug infusion and 0.1% essential oil solution demonstrated the considerable diuretic activity of winter savory.
Black tea [Camellia sinensis (L.) O. Kuntze (family: Theaceae)] has been used by Sri Lankan traditional practitioners to promote diuresis. However, the type and grade of tea is not specified.
THIS STUDY INVESTIGATES THE DIURETIC ACTIVITY OF BLACK TEA INFUSION (BTI) IN RATS USING BROKEN ORANGE PEKOE FANNINGS (BOPF) GRADE FROM MAJOR AGROCLIMATIC ELEVATIONS: high-, mid-, and low-grown. Different concentrations of BTI, furosemide (positive control), and water (vehicle) were orally administered to starved (18 h) male rats (n = 9/group), then hydrated. Acute and chronic (28 days) diuretic activities were assessed by measuring cumulative urine output at hourly intervals for 6 h. Electrolyte levels (Na(+), K(+), Ca(2+), H(+), Cl(-), HCO(3) (-)), pH, osmolarity of urine, and glomerular filtration rate (GFR) of treated rats were determined.
Administration of BTI induced a significant (P < 0.05) and dose-dependent diuretic activity, which varied with the tea produced in different agroclimatic elevations. Diuretic activity had a rapid onset (1(st) h), peaked at 2(nd) h and maintained up to 4(th) h (except the low dose). Furthermore, there was a dose-dependent increase in micturition frequency, which peaked at 2(nd) h. A close association between the caffeine content of tea and diuretic activity was evident. BTI-induced diuresis was accompanied with an increased urine Na(+) level and GFR. The diuretic activity of BTI was mediated via multiple mechanisms: inhibition of both aldosterone secretion (with increased Na(+)/K(+) ratio) and carbonic anhydrase [with decreased Cl(-)/(Na(+) + K(+)) ratio] and via thiazide type of diuretic action (evaluated with increased Na(+)/Cl(-) ratio).
The Sri Lankan BOPF grade black tea possesses mild oral diuretic activity whose efficacy differs with the agroclimatic elevation of production. Furthermore, it supports the traditional claim that the black tea acts as a diuretic.
Examines the potential of organic foods in European markets, focusing on consumer demand for organic foods and the possibilities for market expansion.. Aims to assess potential sales, to identify the factors determining buying propensity, and to identify the main market barriers. Identifies the types of consumers who purchase organic foods, classifying them according to socio-economic and demographic characteristics. Elucidates the motives for purchasing and the willingness to pay. Identifies the main market barriers and bottlenecks,
and examins the potential for future expansion.
In order to study the effects of filtering on the serum cholesterol-elevating effect of boiled coffee, 20 healthy volunteers consumed, in random order, 6-10 dl d-1 of strong boiled coffee (BC) and similarly boiled coffee that had been passed through a conventional paper filter (BFC), for periods of 4 weeks in a crossover design. During periods of BC consumption serum total cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol levels (P less than 0.05), as well as serum triglyceride and apoprotein B concentrations and the LDL/HDL ratio (P less than 0.01), were significantly higher than during BFC periods. Serum HDL-cholesterol and apoprotein A-I levels remained unchanged. Filtering removed more than 80% of the lipid-soluble substance that was present in boiled coffee. The results indicate that the hypercholesterolaemic factor in boiled coffee, which is presumably lipid-soluble, is retained by the paper filter. They also suggest that boiling is not essential for the previously observed difference between the effects on serum lipoproteins of boiled coffee and filtered coffee.
Scandinavian-style boiled coffee, which raises serum cholesterol, was found to contain more lipid material than drip filter coffee, which does not. Ten volunteers consumed a lipid-enriched fraction from boiled coffee for six weeks: the supplement provided 77 g of water, 1.3 g of lipid, and 1.6 g of other solids per day. Serum cholesterol rose in every subject; the mean rise was 0.74 mmol/l after three weeks (range -0.09 to 1.48 mmol/l) and 1.06 SD 0.37 mmol/l or 23% after six weeks (range 0.48 to 1.52 mmol/l). The increase was mainly due to low-density-lipoprotein cholesterol, which rose by 29%, but very-low-density lipoprotein cholesterol was also raised, as evidenced by a 55% rise in triglycerides. High-density-lipoprotein cholesterol was unchanged. After supplementation had ended, lipid levels returned to baseline. Boiled coffee thus contains a lipid that powerfully raises serum cholesterol.