The association between carotenoids and subjects with overweight or obesity: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
What this study found
Carotenoid supplementation in overweight/obese individuals reduced weight by about 2.34 kg, BMI by about 0.95 kg/m2, and waist circumference by about 1.84 cm; HDL increased by about 0.76 mg/dL and total cholesterol decreased by about 2.10 mg/dL (triglycerides also reduced by about 2.10 mg/dL). Low serum carotenoids were associated with higher obesity risk (OR ~1.73). Overall, carotenoids show promising effects on weight and metabolic parameters in overweight/obese people, but larger, long-term clinical trials are needed for confirmation.
- Study & population
- Overweight or obese individuals; included both adolescents (<18 years) and adults (≥18 years); sexes included; study designs included 7 randomized controlled trials and 8 observational studies; global regions included Asia, North America, South America, and Oceania.
- Intervention
- Oral carotenoid supplementation (various carotenoids including lycopene, astaxanthin, cryptoxanthin, alpha-carotene, beta-carotene, lutein/zeaxanthin, total carotenoids); doses range 1.2–60 mg/day; duration 20 days to 16 weeks.
- Key limitation
- High heterogeneity across studies; inconsistent reporting of sex distribution; short durations and small sample sizes in several trials; limited long-term RCTs; potential publication bias.
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Open PDFOriginal abstract
BACKGROUND Excess body weight, including overweight and obesity, is one of the major factors influencing human health, and plays an important role in the global burden of disease. Carotenoids serve as precursors of vitamin A-related retinoids, and are considered to have potential effects on many diseases. However, the influence of carotenoids on people with excess body weight is unclear. METHODS This meta-analysis was conducted to assess the effects of carotenoids on overweight or obese subjects utilizing the available evidence. We searched PubMed, Medline, Cochrane Library, Web of Science and EMBASE databases up to September 2020. Random effects models were used to calculate the standard mean differences (SMDs) and odds ratios (ORs) with their 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs). RESULTS A total of seven randomized controlled trials and eight observational studies met the inclusion criteria and contained 28 944 subjects and data on multiple carotenoid subgroups, including lycopene, astaxanthin, cryptoxanthin, α-carotene, and β-carotene. In all included Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT), the intervention duration was 20 days at the shortest and 16 weeks at the longest, and the range of intervention doses was 1.2-60 mg d-1. Our study found that the insufficiency of serum carotenoids was a risk factor for overweight and obesity (OR = 1.73, 95% CI [1.57, 1.91], p < 0.001). Moreover, carotenoid supplementation was significantly associated with body weight reductions (SMD = -2.34 kg, 95% CI [-3.80, -0.87] kg, p < 0.001), body mass index decrease (BMI, SMD = -0.95 kg cm-2, 95% CI [-1.88, -0.01] kg cm-2, p < 0.001) and waist circumference losses (WC, SMD = -1.84 cm, 95% CI [-3.14, -0.54]cm, p < 0.001). CONCLUSION In summary, the carotenoids show promising effects in overweight or obese subjects. Additional data from large clinical trials are needed.