In this edition of Supplement Shorts: an Akkermansia postbiotic helps with weight loss maintenance, research reviews provide insights on curcuminoids and vitamin B12, and dietary supplement industry companies announce executive appointments. Check out the supplement industry news, from scientific innovations to finished products and everything in between.
Akkermansia postbiotic helpful for weight loss maintenance
An Akkermansia postbiotic may support weight loss maintenance, according to a Nature Medicine study.
Participants subscribed to a low-energy diet for eight weeks, followed by a maintenance period in which they supplemented with 30 billion heat-treated cells of Akkermansia muciniphila MucT (marketed by The Akkermansia Company) or placebo for 24 weeks.
Subjects supplementing with the postbiotic had lower weight regain and lost more weight compared to baseline versus those taking the placebo.
“Long-term weight maintenance remains one of the greatest unmet challenges in obesity management,” Willem M. de Vos, Ph.D., co-founder of The Akkermansia Company, said via press release.
Researchers detected no changes in fasting glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) levels between the two groups, but impacts on insulin sensitivity were observed.
The eight-week low-energy diet resulted in improved insulin sensitivity — as measured by the Matsuda Index — for both groups, which held steady during the maintenance phase for those taking the postbiotic.
“These findings further strengthen the scientific understanding of Akkermansia muciniphila MucT and its potential role in supporting metabolic health,” de Vos said.
Clinical currents and science news
Vitamin B12 is a common component of many dietary supplements but the frequent use of large doses may not provide benefit, according to a review on B12 clinical trials. The authors wrote that “supplementation has not shown consistent benefits in populations without overt clinical or biochemical B12 deficiency, with no clear improvements in fatigue, mood, cognition or cardiovascular outcomes.”
The researchers also stated that higher circulating B12 levels link to “increased risk of malignancy,” but findings are not consistent and more research is needed to draw a definitive conclusion.
The combination of curcumin and piperine helps not only with inflammation and oxidative stress but also supports cardiometabolic health. A systematic review of 20 randomized controlled trials concluded the combination is consistently beneficial across a diverse clinical trial population with a well-established safety record. Formulators often pair piperine with curcuminoids to increase their bioavailability.
Krill oil may be more effective at increasing omega-3 levels versus fish oil.Participants supplemented with 1.1 g krill oil (marketed as SuperbaBoost by Aker Biomarine) or fish oil for 12 weeks. Krill oil supplementation resulted in a 1.5-fold increase in EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) compared to fish oil.
Dietary supplement finished product newsCompany and organization updates
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