Low-Fat Diet Combined With Lutein May Help Decrease Body Fat Percentage

Lutein is a carotenoid with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that is found in leafy greens and orange and yellow vegetables. A recent study has found that supplementation with lutein combined with a low-fat diet may help decrease body fat percentage.

Forty-eight obese adults between the ages of 45 and 65 participated in the study. All were assigned to a low-fat diet, and half received 20 mg of lutein and half received a placebo daily for 10 weeks. Body weight, waist circumference, body fat percentage, and cholesterol levels were evaluated at baseline and at the end of the study period.

All participants saw a similar decrease in body weight and waist circumference. However, participants in the lutein group saw a greater decrease in body fat percentage than those in the placebo group. Participants in the lutein group also saw significant decreases in visceral fat, total cholesterol, and LDL cholesterol.

Participants in the placebo group saw a significant decrease in fat-free mass, compared to no decrease in the lutein group.

The study was conducted by researchers from the Tabriz University of Medical Sciences. The study was published in the October 2021 edition of the British Journal of Nutrition.