Research paper
The association between carotenoids and subjects with overweight or obesity: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Study answer
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 ar…