Abstract
The prevalence of obesity has steadily increased worldwide over the past three decades. The conventional approaches to prevent or treat this syndrome and its associated complications include a balanced diet, an increase energy expenditure, and lifestyle modification. Multiple pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions have been developed with the aim of improving obesity complications. Recently, the use of functional foods and their bioactive components is considered a new approach in the prevention and management of this disease. Due to their biological properties, polyphenols may be considered as nutraceuticals and food supplement recommended for different syndromes. Polyphenols are a class of naturally-occurring phytochemicals, some of which have been shown to modulate physiological and molecular pathways involved in energy metabolism. Polyphenols could act in the stimulation of β-oxidation, adipocyte differentiation inhibition, counteract oxidative stress, etc. In this narrative review, we considered the association between polyphenols (resveratrol, quercetin, curcumin, and some polyphenolic extracts) and obesity, focusing on human trials. The health effects of polyphenols depend on the amount consumed and their bioavailability. Some results are contrasting, probably due to the various study designs and lengths, variation among subjects (age, gender, ethnicity), and chemical forms of the dietary polyphenols used. But, in conclusion, the data so far obtained encourage the setting of new trials, necessary to validate benefic role of polyphenols in obese individuals.
Highlights
Obesity represents one of the main public health problems worldwide, both because its prevalence is constantly and worryingly increasing in western countries and in low-medium income ones and because it is an important risk factor for various chronic diseases [1,2]
Obesity prevalence is significantly associated with sex, racial ethnic identity, and can cause obesity: hyperinsulinism, hypercortisolism, ovarian dysfunction, and hypothyroidism
Obesity is associated with low-grade chronic systemic inflammation in the adipose tissue, a condition influenced by the activation of the innate immune system in the adipose tissue that promotes the pro-inflammatory state and oxidation stress, triggering a systemic acute-phase response
Summary
Obesity represents one of the main public health problems worldwide, both because its prevalence is constantly and worryingly increasing in western countries and in low-medium income ones and because it is an important risk factor for various chronic diseases [1,2]. Childhood obesity is progressively increasing worldwide, and an estimated 108 million recommendations, approved by the World Health Assembly, aimed at reducing the impact of the children (under 20 years of age) suffer from obesity. Health conditions, such as type-2 diabetes and marketing of foods rich in saturated fat, trans-fatty acids, free sugars, or salt [11]. Food availability remains an important factor associated with obesity that relates to differences in prevalence seen across geographical areas and higher rates of obesity within low socioeconomic status individuals [14].
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