From left to right, the nutritional intervention team formed by Santiago Navas, María Hernández, María Jesús Moreno, Alfredo Martínez, Salomé Pérez and Blanca Martínez de Morentin.

Photo: Manuel Castells

A study from the School of Pharmacy at the University of Navarra suggests that supplements of lipoic acid, a potent antioxidant, may be effective in preventing diabetes and curbing obesity.

This is one of the conclusions of a research soon to be published in the journal Molecular Nutrition and Food Research, which confirms that the antioxidant is associated with weight loss in animal models.

Also, other programs of study of group researcher suggest that this supplement improves markers of cardiovascular risk and diabetes, "so it may be a new therapy against obesity and other associated diseases, such as hypercholesterolemia, insulin resistance or diabetes," says Dr. María Jesús Moreno, director of the team and professor at department of Food Sciences, Physiology and Toxicology.

The new study on lipoic acid that will be launched by group researcher will consist of designing and evaluating a personalized hypocaloric per diem expenses (leave in calories), based on the needs of each volunteer, and supplemented with lipoic acid and/or omega 3 acids, which will be provided to the participants free of charge.

"Then," explains Dr. Moreno, "we will follow the volunteers for 10 weeks, with a team made up of dieticians-nutritionists, pharmacists and a physician. They will evaluate the effects of per diem expenses on weight loss, the amount of body fat and will carry out complementary analyses at the beginning and end of the study".

A natural complement
"Weight loss and maintenance are not easy", adds the expert, "that is why we are looking for natural products such as lipoic acid -an antioxidant that is synthesized naturally by our organism, but that we can also obtain through the intake of cabbage, spinach or offal subject liver- to try to slow down the progress of this problem".

goal With the aim of verifying the efficacy of the supplement in overweight or obese people, the group multidisciplinary of research, formed by dieticians-nutritionists, doctors and pharmacists, will carry out different programs of study for which they need volunteers. Those interested can obtain further information at the Metabolic Unit of the academic center (telephone 948425744/616244655 and by e-mail voluntariosnut@unav.es).

This Unit also directs other projects aimed, in all cases, at promote the prevention and nutritional treatment of obesity and its associated ailments, for which volunteers are also required.