Department of Nutrition, School of Nursing and Nutrition, Tenshi Collage.
Division of Metabolic Medicine, Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology, The University of Tokyo.
J Nutr Sci Vitaminol (Tokyo). 2021;67(2):99-104. doi: 10.3177/jnsv.67.99.
Increasing adaptive thermogenesis through the activation of brown adipose tissue (BAT) is a promising practical strategy for preventing obesity and related disorders. Ingestion of a single dose of 40 mg of an extract of Grains of Paradise (GP), a ginger family species, reportedly triggers BAT thermogenesis in individuals with high but not in those with low BAT activity. We hypothesized that prolonged treatment with GP might revive BAT in individuals who have lost active BAT. In the present study, we recruited 9 healthy young male volunteers with reduced BAT that was assessed by fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography and computed tomography (FDG-PET/CT) following 2-h cold exposure at 19ºC. The subjects ingested GP extract (40 mg/d) or placebo every day for 5 wk. Before and after the treatment with either GP or placebo, their body composition and BAT-dependent cold-induced thermogenesis (CIT)-a non-invasive index of BAT-were measured in a single-blinded, randomized, placebo-controlled cross-over design. Their whole-body resting energy expenditure at a thermoneutral condition remained unchanged following GP treatment. However, CIT after treatment was significantly higher in GP-treated individuals than in placebo-treated individuals. Body weight and fat-free mass did not change significantly following GP or placebo treatment. Notably, body fat percentage slightly but significantly decreased after GP treatment but not after placebo treatment. These results suggest that repeated ingestion of GP elevates adaptive thermogenesis through the re-activation of BAT, thereby reducing body fat in individuals with low BAT activity.
通过激活棕色脂肪组织（BAT）来增加适应性产热是预防肥胖和相关疾病的一种很有前途的实用策略。据报道，单次摄入 40 毫克天堂椒（GP）提取物，一种姜科物种，可引发高 BAT 活性个体的 BAT 产热，但不会引发低 BAT 活性个体的 BAT 产热。我们假设，长期使用 GP 可能会使已经失去活性的 BAT 重新活跃起来。在本研究中，我们招募了 9 名健康的年轻男性志愿者，他们的 BAT 活性通过氟脱氧葡萄糖正电子发射断层扫描和计算机断层扫描（FDG-PET/CT）评估，在 19°C 下暴露 2 小时后会降低。这些志愿者每天摄入 GP 提取物（40mg/d）或安慰剂，持续 5 周。在接受 GP 或安慰剂治疗之前和之后，采用单盲、随机、安慰剂对照交叉设计，测量了他们的身体成分和 BAT 依赖性冷诱导产热（CIT）——BAT 的一个非侵入性指标。在接受 GP 治疗后，他们的全身静息能量消耗在温热条件下保持不变。然而，与安慰剂组相比，接受 GP 治疗的个体的 CIT 显著升高。接受 GP 或安慰剂治疗后，体重和去脂体重均无明显变化。值得注意的是，接受 GP 治疗后体脂百分比略有但显著下降，而接受安慰剂治疗后则没有。这些结果表明，重复摄入 GP 通过 BAT 的再激活来提高适应性产热，从而减少低 BAT 活性个体的体脂肪。
