Abstract
Overweight and obesity adversely affect health-related quality of life (HRQOL) through day-to-day impairments of both mental and physical functioning. It is assumed that polyphenols within the Mediterranean diet may contribute to improving HRQOL. This investigation aimed at studying the effects of a polyphenol-rich ingredient on HRQOL in overweight and obese but otherwise healthy individuals. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study including 72 volunteers was conducted. Subjects were randomly assigned to receive for a 16-week period either 900 mg/day of the supplement or a placebo. Dietary recommendations were individually determined and intakes were recorded. Daily physical mobility was also monitored. Improvement of HRQOL was set as the primary outcome and assessed at baseline and at the end of the investigation using the Short-Form 36 (SF-36) health survey. Body composition was analyzed using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). Physical activity was calculated using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ). After 16 weeks, despite there being no adherence to the Mediterranean Diet Serving Score (MDSS), supplemented individuals experienced significant HRQOL improvement (+5.3%; p = 0.001), including enhanced perceived physical (+11.2%; p = 0.002) and mental health (+4.1%; p = 0.021) components, with bodily pain, vitality, and general health being the greatest contributors. Body fat mass significantly decreased (−1.2 kg; p = 0.033), mainly within the trunk area (−1.0 kg; p = 0.002). Engagement in physical activity significantly increased (+1308 Met-min (Metabolic Equivalent Task minutes)/week; p = 0.050). Hence, chronic supplementation with nutritional diversity and dosing of a Mediterranean diet-inspired, polyphenol-rich ingredient resulted in significant amelioration in both perceived physical and mental health, concomitant with the improvement of body composition, in healthy subjects with excessive adiposity.
Highlights
The World Health Organization (WHO) defines quality of life (QOL) as “an individual’s perception of their position in life in the context of culture and value systems in which they live, and in relation to their goals, expectations, standards, and concerns” [1]
The main results of this study demonstrate that a 16-week-long supplementation period with an ingredient formulated from a blend of various botanical extracts, which are rich in a diversity of polyphenols and usually consumed as part of the typical Mediterranean diet, is associated with significant improvements of both the physical and mental components of the health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in overweight and obese but otherwise healthy subjects of both sex
Volunteers showed an impaired HRQOL, namely in vitality and emotional well-being subscales, for which values were below the Spanish age-specific population reference norms [33]
Summary
The World Health Organization (WHO) defines quality of life (QOL) as “an individual’s perception of their position in life in the context of culture and value systems in which they live, and in relation to their goals, expectations, standards, and concerns” [1]. Such conception of QOL is subjective, multidimensional, and encompasses a broad range of life domains, among which health is one of the most important determinants. According to WHO, the global burden of NCDs is imputable to ageing, rapid urbanization, and to globalization of unhealthy lifestyles
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