Ozzi ingredient research library

Franchi F, Yaranov DM, Rollini F, Rivas A, Rivas Rios J, Been L, Tani Y, Tokuda M, Iida T, Hayashi N, Angiolillo DJ, Mooradian AD. · BMJ open diabetes research & care

30 adults without diabetes; randomized crossover; 2.5, 5, 7.5 or 10 g with 50 g sucrose.

Allulose reduced the early post-drink glucose response in a dose-dependent pattern, with significant reductions at 7.5 and 10 g. The 10 g dose also reduced glucose and insulin excursions.

Fukunaga K, Yoshimura T, Imachi H, Kobayashi T, Saheki T, Sato S, Saheki N, Jiang W, Murao K. · Nutrients

Randomized crossover pilot in type 2 diabetes; 8.5 g allulose per meal; continuous glucose monitoring.

A diabetic diet containing 8.5 g allulose per meal reduced post-meal glucose peaks compared with the standard diabetic diet. This supplies another near-serving-dose example of human glucose research.

Noh J, Kim HR, Han J, Hwang H, Park J, Sa S, Atkinson F, Lau K, Byun S. · Nutrients

Two exploratory investigations, 10 participants each; 25 g carbohydrate testing and a separate 10 g allulose plus meal experiment.

In the meal experiment, 10 g allulose lowered post-meal glucose and insulin responses and increased circulating active GLP-1 compared with the meal alone. A statistically significant satiety improvement was reported for resistant maltodextrin, not allulose.

Teysseire F, Bordier V, Budzinska A, Weltens N, Rehfeld JF, Holst JJ, Hartmann B, Beglinger C, Van Oudenhove L, Wölnerhanssen BK, Meyer-Gerspach AC. · The Journal of nutrition

18 healthy adults; randomized double-blind crossover; 25 g allulose delivered into the stomach, with or without lactisole.

Allulose increased GLP-1, PYY and CCK relative to water. Blocking the intestinal sweet-taste receptor with lactisole did not stop these responses, indicating that this receptor was not the mediator under the tested conditions.

Hayashi N, Iida T, Yamada T, Okuma K, Takehara I, Yamamoto T, Yamada K, Tokuda M. · Bioscience, biotechnology, and biochemistry

26-person acute randomized crossover, 5 g with a meal; separate 17-person 12-week trial, 5 g three times daily.

The acute experiment found lower post-meal glucose, particularly in participants with borderline diabetes. The separate repeated-intake experiment reported no abnormal clinical effects attributed to 15 g allulose per day over 12 weeks.

Noronha JC, Braunstein CR, Glenn AJ, Khan TA, Viguiliouk E, Noseworthy R, Blanco Mejia S, Kendall CWC, Wolever TMS, Leiter LA, Sievenpiper JL. · Diabetes, obesity & metabolism

24 adults with type 2 diabetes; randomized crossover; 5 or 10 g allulose with 75 g glucose.

The 10 g dose reduced incremental glucose exposure by about 8% versus control, with some secondary glucose measures improved at 5 g. The authors characterized the benefit as a modest acute reduction.

Buranapin S, Kosachunhanan N, Waisayanand N, Yokoi H, Tokuda M. · Journal of nutritional science and vitaminology

30 healthy Thai adults; randomized double-blind crossover; 0 to 10 g allulose with 50 g sucrose.

Adding allulose produced a dose-dependent attenuation of peak glucose and insulin responses. This provides a second population in which small doses were studied alongside a sugar-containing drink.

Kimura T, Kanasaki A, Hayashi N, Yamada T, Iida T, Nagata Y, Okuma K. · Nutrition (Burbank, Los Angeles County, Calif.)

13 healthy adults; randomized single-blind crossover; 5 g allulose 30 minutes before a standardized meal.

Allulose increased measured post-meal fat oxidation and reduced carbohydrate oxidation compared with aspartame control. Glucose was lower, while insulin and several lipid measures did not change.

Han Y, Kwon EY, Yu MK, Lee SJ, Kim HJ, Kim SB, Kim YH, Choi MS. · Nutrients

121 overweight or obese Korean adults entered a 12-week randomized trial; 4 g twice daily, 7 g twice daily or sucralose.

Both allulose groups had favorable body-fat outcomes, and the higher-dose group also showed improvements in BMI and abdominal or subcutaneous fat measures versus placebo. The investigators called for further validation of the body-fat results.

Preechasuk L, Luksameejaroenchai C, Tangjittipokin W, Kunavisarut T. · European journal of nutrition

16 adults with type 2 diabetes; randomized crossover; 7 g twice daily for 12 weeks versus aspartame.

Allulose did not significantly improve glucose homeostasis, incretin levels or body composition. HDL cholesterol decreased and MCP-1 increased during the allulose period.

Teysseire F, Bordier V, Budzinska A, Van Oudenhove L, Weltens N, Beglinger C, Wölnerhanssen BK, Meyer-Gerspach AC. · Nutrients

18 healthy adults; acute crossover; 25 g allulose, 50 g erythritol or water.

Allulose lowered glucose in this acute experiment; evidence for an insulin effect depended on the analysis used. Allulose did not reduce ghrelin or change the measured lipids, uric acid or inflammatory marker.

Han Y, Choi BR, Kim SY, Kim SB, Kim YH, Kwon EY, Choi MS. · Nutrients

29 young adults in a non-randomized dose-escalation experiment; single doses 0.1–0.5 g/kg and separate daily escalation.

Gastrointestinal symptoms became more prominent at higher doses, and the authors proposed 0.4 g/kg as a maximum single dose and 0.9 g/kg as a daily maximum for the studied setting. Symptoms could still occur below those proposed limits.

Bloomer RJ, Pence J, Hellenbrand J, Davis A, Davis S, Stockton M, Martin KR. · Nutrients

40 adults; four randomized groups; placebo or one, two or three hydration-product packets daily for four weeks.

An allulose-containing hydration beverage was generally well tolerated across dosing groups, with no clinically meaningful adverse changes in the measured safety outcomes. Mild gastrointestinal signals were observed, including bloating and cramping.

Qi L, Ning J, Han J, Zhang N, Zhang W, Wang F, Li D, Li Z, Nie Y, Jing H, Gao S. · Food science & nutrition

50 healthy Chinese adults randomized; 49 completed; 12 g twice daily or 18 g twice daily for 30 days; no zero-allulose control.

At 24 or 36 g daily, gastrointestinal symptoms were reported as generally mild and transient, most often early in use. The paper reports symptoms in 48% overall, with no significant difference between dose groups and measured laboratory changes remaining within clinical reference ranges.

Iwasaki Y, Sendo M, Dezaki K, Hira T, Sato T, Nakata M, Goswami C, Aoki R, Arai T, Kumari P, Hayakawa M, Masuda C, Okada T, Hara H, Drucker DJ, Yamada Y, Tokuda M, Yada T. · Nature communications

Rodent experiments using oral allulose, vagotomy and genetic or pharmacological GLP-1 receptor interference.

Allulose stimulated GLP-1 release and vagal signaling, reduced food intake and improved glucose handling in animal models. Interrupting GLP-1 receptor signaling or the vagus weakened these effects.

Hayakawa M, Hira T, Nakamura M, Iida T, Kishimoto Y, Hara H. · Biochemical and biophysical research communications

Rats; oral 0.5–2 g/kg and direct intestinal administration with transport or receptor inhibitors.

Allulose increased GLP-1 after intestinal exposure, with evidence implicating intestinal transport-related processes. A sweet-receptor inhibitor did not abolish the response.

Mizuma S, Hayakawa M, Hira T. · Endocrinology

Male rats; luminal allulose and experiments manipulating intestinal contents and distension.

Intestinal expansion correlated with GLP-1 secretion, and physical distension itself also triggered a response. The authors proposed distension as one contributor to allulose-induced GLP-1 release.

Ohbayashi K, Tanida M, Abe C, Ishihara H, Omi W, Kubota N, Drucker DJ, Yada T, Iwasaki Y. · Diabetes

Male mice; allulose-induced GLP-1, insulin and selective vagal-pathway experiments.

A 2026 study found that intestinal GLP-1 released after allulose cooperated with insulin through left-sided vagal afferents to improve insulin action. This illustrates how local gut–nerve signaling may matter even when circulating active GLP-1 is short-lived.

Iba K, Kyo M, Ishihara H, Nagao A, Kawabe M, Ohbayashi K, Yada T, Iwasaki Y. · International journal of molecular sciences

Ovariectomized female mice exposed to sucrose; oral allulose for two weeks; GLP-1 receptor knockout comparison.

Allulose reduced visceral-fat accumulation and improved glucose-related outcomes in this model of estrogen deficiency. Benefits were weakened when GLP-1 receptor signaling was absent.

Masuda Y, Ohbayashi K, Iba K, Kitano R, Kimura T, Yamada T, Hira T, Yada T, Iwasaki Y. · Nutrients

Male mice; rare sugars at 1 or 3 g/kg with GLP-1 receptor antagonism.

Several ketohexose sugars, including allulose, increased GLP-1 and reduced short-term feeding. Blocking GLP-1 receptors weakened feeding effects, supporting a causal hormone pathway in this model.

Cayabyab KB, Shin MJ, Heimuli MS, Kim IJ, D'Agostino DP, Johnson RJ, Koutnik AP, Bellissimo N, Diamond DM, Norwitz NG, Arroyo JA, Reynolds PR, Bikman BT. · Nutrients

Rats; allulose-rich diet for 12 weeks in a model of dietary excess.

Allulose reduced food consumption and weight gain while increasing GLP-1 and improving several metabolic markers. The experiment also identified liver and adipose-tissue changes.

Osborn L, DuPuis K, Liu S, Della Corte D, Della Corte KA. · The American journal of clinical nutrition

2026 review; 20 trials total, of which 12 studied allulose and eight tagatose; search through April 2025.

Pooled allulose results supported lower post-meal glucose and insulin responses with moderate certainty. The review did not find significant pooled improvements in fasting glucose, HbA1c, lipids or body composition.

Tani Y, Tokuda M, Nishimoto N, Yokoi H, Izumori K. · PloS one

2023 review and meta-analysis of acute post-meal glucose studies in healthy people.

The analysis found lower post-meal glucose exposure with both 5 g and 10 g allulose. It supports a benefit at small doses in acute meal studies.

Ayesh H, Suhail S, Ayesh S. · Metabolism open

2024 meta-analysis reporting six studies and 126 participants in a diabetes-focused evidence set.

The pooled analysis found lower post-meal glucose exposure and time above glucose range, but no significant improvement in fasting glucose, insulin exposure or time in range. Results favor an acute post-meal glucose claim over a broad claim of metabolic normalization.

Shang L, Wang Y, Ren Y, Ai T, Zhou P, Hu L, Wang L, Li J, Li B. · Food & function

22 healthy adults; randomized single-blind crossover breakfasts with different viscosities; separate simulated gastric-emptying experiments.

Higher-viscosity breakfasts improved subjective hunger, fullness and desire-to-eat ratings and altered appetite-related hormone responses. Subsequent food intake changed only slightly.

Walsh DE, Yaghoubian V, Behforooz A. · International journal of obesity

20 adults with obesity; double-blind eight-week study; 1 g glucomannan with water before each of three meals daily.

The study reported weight loss and lower cholesterol measures in the glucomannan group without requested changes to eating or exercise. It is an early positive clinical study of a pre-meal fiber regimen.

Keithley JK, Swanson B, Mikolaitis SL, DeMeo M, Zeller JM, Fogg L, Adamji J. · Journal of obesity

53 overweight or moderately obese adults; randomized trial; 1.33 g before each of three meals, with water, for eight weeks.

Glucomannan did not outperform placebo for weight, body composition, hunger, fullness, glucose or lipids. The investigators found the regimen generally tolerable.

Au-Yeung F, Jovanovski E, Jenkins AL, Zurbau A, Ho HVT, Vuksan V. · The British journal of nutrition

16 healthy adults; randomized crossover; pasta partially or fully replaced with volume-matched konjac-gel noodles.

Replacing pasta with low-energy konjac noodles reduced total energy intake without increased intake at the subsequent dessert. Full replacement produced more hunger than pasta, so the result primarily supports food substitution rather than stronger satiety.

Vuksan V, Jenkins DJ, Spadafora P, Sievenpiper JL, Owen R, Vidgen E, Brighenti F, Josse R, Leiter LA, Bruce-Thompson C. · Diabetes care

11 adults with type 2 diabetes and other cardiometabolic risk factors; controlled crossover diets with konjac-enriched or wheat-bran biscuits.

Konjac biscuits improved fructosamine, the total-to-HDL cholesterol ratio and systolic blood pressure versus comparator. Several other outcomes, including weight, did not remain significant after statistical adjustment.

Ancu O, Mackenzie RWA, Patterson M, Dsilva E, Yakubov GE, Haynes M, Kolida S, Stephenson CG, Costabile A. · European journal of nutrition

16 healthy adults; randomized crossover; 3 g chromium–glucomannan–fructooligosaccharide complex with 50 g dextrose.

The complex reduced insulin at several time points and improved selected fullness and hunger ratings. The study also documented greater mixture viscosity.

Sukkar SG, Vaccaro A, Ravera GB, Borrini C, Gradaschi R, Massa Sacchi-Nemours A, Cordera R, Andraghetti G. · Mediterranean journal of nutrition and metabolism

Five healthy volunteers; crossover comparison of 8 g whey versus 8 g casein, each with 1 g glucomannan.

The whey-containing mixture reduced desire to eat and increased GLP-1 at selected time points. With glucomannan in both conditions, the study cannot isolate its contribution.

Dehzad MJ, Raja A, Moghdani Z, Sohrabi Z, Fararooei M, Famouri M, Askarpour M, Babajafari S. · Preventive nutrition and food science

80 adults with type 2 diabetes; 1.5 g glucomannan plus 1.5 g inulin in yogurt daily versus plain yogurt for eight weeks.

The enriched yogurt improved insulin-sensitivity indices and some lipid measures. This supports further research on fiber combinations in metabolic health.

Wu R, Tang L, Yang X, Ou Q, Gu Y, Yuan L, Tong N. · Sichuan da xue xue bao. Yi xue ban = Journal of Sichuan University. Medical science edition

102 adults with obesity and prediabetes; 79 completed; diet and exercise with or without 60 g/day konjac-based fiber biscuits for three months.

The biscuit group achieved better fasting-glucose control and selected insulin and body-size outcomes, but not all post-meal or weight-related measures improved. Gastrointestinal events included two cases of severe discomfort that resolved after discontinuation.

Pokushalov E, Ponomarenko A, Garcia C, Pak I, Shrainer E, Seryakova M, Johnson M, Miller R. · Nutrients

112 adults with obesity and selected genetic variants; glucomannan–inulin–psyllium blend versus placebo for 180 days.

The fiber combination reduced weight and adiposity measures compared with placebo. Gastrointestinal events were common in the intervention group.

Musazadeh V, Rostami RY, Moridpour AH, Hosseini ZB, Nikpayam O, Falahatzadeh M, Faghfouri AH. · BMC cardiovascular disorders

2024 GRADE-assessed meta-analysis of adult randomized trials; search through June 2024.

Glucomannan lowered pooled total and LDL cholesterol, but several other lipid measures did not improve. Very high heterogeneity indicates substantial differences among study results.

Zhang Z, Zhang Y, Tao X, Wang Y, Rao B, Shi H. · Nutrients

Six randomized trials involving 440 participants with type 2 diabetes.

Pooled results favored glucomannan for several glucose and lipid measures. The findings are specific to diabetes-focused trials and their tested regimens.

Mirzababaei A, Zandkarimi R, Moradi S, Rasaei N, Amini MR, Pourreza S, Abaj F, Clark CCT, Daneshzad E, Mirzaei K. · Journal of diabetes and metabolic disorders

Six adult randomized trials with 124 participants; glucose outcomes.

The review found a reduction in fasting glucose but no statistically significant pooled reduction in post-meal glucose. The fasting-glucose effect was clearer in the diabetes subgroup.

La Monica M, Kirby T, Hartshorn S, Gustat A, Grdic J, Sandrock J. · Journal of Exercise and Nutrition

10 healthy men; randomized crossover; lysine butyrate, sodium butyrate and tributyrin, each providing 786 mg butyric acid.

Lysine and sodium butyrate produced greater systemic exposure and earlier peak concentrations than tributyrin. The mean lysine-butyrate peak occurred at the first post-dose sample, 20 minutes.

Roshanravan N, Mahdavi R, Alizadeh E, Jafarabadi MA, Hedayati M, Ghavami A, Alipour S, Alamdari NM, Barati M, Ostadrahimi A. · Hormone and metabolic research = Hormon- und Stoffwechselforschung = Hormones et metabolisme

60 adults with type 2 diabetes; four groups; sodium butyrate, inulin, both or placebo for 45 days.

Sodium butyrate alone and the butyrate–inulin combination increased GLP-1 compared with placebo. Several other changes were confined to combination treatment or comparisons within a group.

Amiri P, Hosseini SA, Saghafi-Asl M, Roshanravan N, Tootoonchian M. · European journal of clinical nutrition

50 adults with obesity; randomized trial; 600 mg sodium butyrate daily plus calorie restriction versus placebo plus the same diet for eight weeks.

The trial reported favorable metabolic and anthropometric changes alongside altered expression of energy-metabolism genes. Serum GLP-1 did not significantly change.

Testa R, Vitale M, Giosuè A, Salamone D, Quaglia C, Rivellese AA, Bozzetto L, Costabile G. · Clinical nutrition (Edinburgh, Scotland)

46 adults, including 23 with type 2 diabetes; 1,875 mg sodium butyrate daily or placebo, with the same reduced-energy diet for 12 weeks.

In participants without diabetes, butyrate produced greater weight loss than placebo; in those with diabetes, weight changes were similar but triglycerides and a continuous-glucose-monitoring measure improved. The 2026 results suggest that benefits can depend on metabolic status.

Nakhleh A, Said W, Hadad S, Zolotov S, Shehadeh N. · Nutrition and health

Seven adults with obesity; three intervention visits; L-arginine alone, L-arginine plus sodium butyrate or no intervention before a standard meal.

The combination increased circulating GLP-1 relative to no intervention, while subjective hunger and fullness did not significantly change. The experiment was small and did not isolate butyrate’s contribution.

Rosseel R, Vandermeulen G, Dehau T, Verbeke K. · The American journal of clinical nutrition

28 healthy adults; randomized crossover; a 230 mmol short-chain-fatty-acid mixture targeted to the small intestine or colon versus placebo.

Hormone and appetite responses differed by delivery site, with greater PYY after colonic delivery and greater GLP-1 after small-intestinal delivery. Both delivery conditions reduced reported appetite, more so with small-intestinal delivery.

Canfora EE, van der Beek CM, Jocken JWE, Goossens GH, Holst JJ, Olde Damink SWM, Lenaerts K, Dejong CHC, Blaak EE. · Scientific reports

12 overweight or obese men; randomized crossover; rectal infusions of SCFA mixtures enriched in acetate, propionate or butyrate.

The SCFA mixtures increased PYY and fat oxidation compared with placebo. Some energy-expenditure effects depended on the mixture used.

Bouter K, Bakker GJ, Levin E, Hartstra AV, Kootte RS, Udayappan SD, Katiraei S, Bahler L, Gilijamse PW, Tremaroli V, Stahlman M, Holleman F, van Riel NAW, Verberne HJ, Romijn JA, Dallinga-Thie GM, Serlie MJ, Ackermans MT, Kemper EM, Willems van Dijk K, Backhed F, Groen AK, Nieuwdorp M. · Clinical and translational gastroenterology

Nine lean men and 10 men with metabolic syndrome; 4 g sodium butyrate daily for four weeks; before–after pilot.

Insulin sensitivity improved in lean participants but not in those with metabolic syndrome. Brown-fat activity did not significantly increase in either group.

Coppola S, Nocerino R, Paparo L, Bedogni G, Calignano A, Di Scala C, de Giovanni di Santa Severina AF, De Filippis F, Ercolini D, Berni Canani R. · JAMA network open

54 children with obesity; randomized placebo-controlled trial; sodium butyrate 20 mg/kg/day plus standard care for six months.

More children receiving butyrate achieved the prespecified BMI improvement than children receiving placebo. Several secondary metabolic and waist measures also improved, with transient mild nausea or headache reported in two treated participants.

Qaisar R, Zuhra H, Karim A, Ahmad F. · European journal of nutrition

146 postmenopausal women in placebo or butyrate groups, plus 75 premenopausal reference participants; 570 mg sodium butyrate daily for 12 weeks.

Butyrate improved handgrip and physical-performance measures and reduced blood markers interpreted as related to intestinal barrier function. The authors linked these changes to a possible gut–muscle pathway.

Tougaard NH, Frimodt-Møller M, Salmenkari H, Stougaard EB, Zawadzki AD, Mattila IM, Hansen TW, Legido-Quigley C, Hörkkö S, Forsblom C, Groop PH, Lehto M, Rossing P. · Journal of clinical medicine

53 people with type 1 diabetes, albuminuria and intestinal inflammation; 3.6 g sodium butyrate daily or placebo for 12 weeks.

Butyrate did not significantly improve the primary intestinal-inflammation marker or the measured kidney, glycemic, inflammatory or gastrointestinal outcomes. This shows that promising mechanisms do not translate uniformly across clinical settings.

Yadav H, Lee JH, Lloyd J, Walter P, Rane SG. · The Journal of biological chemistry

Mouse probiotic experiments plus cultured intestinal L cells exposed to butyrate.

The probiotic intervention was associated with greater butyrate and GLP-1, and butyrate directly stimulated GLP-1 release in the cell experiments. This supports a plausible microbiota–metabolite–hormone pathway.

Tolhurst G, Heffron H, Lam YS, Parker HE, Habib AM, Diakogiannaki E, Cameron J, Grosse J, Reimann F, Gribble FM. · Diabetes

Primary intestinal cell cultures and mice lacking the SCFA receptors FFAR2 or FFAR3.

Short-chain fatty acids stimulated GLP-1 release, and receptor disruption reduced this response. The findings support a receptor-mediated link between intestinal fermentation products and hormone secretion.

Li Z, Yi CX, Katiraei S, Kooijman S, Zhou E, Chung CK, Gao Y, van den Heuvel JK, Meijer OC, Berbée JFP, Heijink M, Giera M, Willems van Dijk K, Groen AK, Rensen PCN, Wang Y. · Gut

Mice; oral versus intravenous butyrate, pair-feeding and vagotomy experiments.

Oral butyrate reduced food intake and influenced brain pathways involved in feeding; interrupting the vagus abolished key effects. Chronic treatment also improved fat oxidation and brown-fat activity.

Peng L, Li ZR, Green RS, Holzman IR, Lin J. · The Journal of nutrition

Caco-2 intestinal cell monolayers; butyrate exposure and AMPK-inhibition experiments.

Butyrate increased barrier resistance and promoted tight-junction assembly through an AMPK-linked process. Blocking AMPK prevented key barrier effects.

Gao Z, Yin J, Zhang J, Ward RE, Martin RJ, Lefevre M, Cefalu WT, Ye J. · Diabetes

Diet-induced obese mice; sodium butyrate at 5% of the diet.

Butyrate improved insulin sensitivity and energy expenditure and reduced adiposity in mice. In this experiment the prevention of obesity was not explained by lower food intake.

Hamari N, Blaak EE, Canfora EE. · Frontiers in nutrition

2025 semi-systematic review of animal and human butyrate research.

The review describes strong mechanistic interest but uneven translation to humans because delivery, absorption, metabolism and baseline health differ. It calls for better human trials while recognizing multiple plausible metabolic pathways.

Ngondi JL, Etoundi BC, Nyangono CB, Mbofung CM, Oben JE. · Lipids in health and disease

102 overweight or obese adults; randomized double-blind study; IGOB131 extract 150 mg twice daily before meals for 10 weeks.

IGOB131 improved weight, waist and body-fat measures as well as several metabolic markers compared with placebo. This is an important positive study of a specific African-mango seed extract.

Ngondi JL, Oben JE, Minka SR. · Lipids in health and disease

40 adults with obesity; 28 active and 12 placebo; seed preparation 1.05 g three times daily for one month.

The active group lost more weight than placebo and showed favorable changes in blood lipids. The study supports early clinical interest in African-mango seed preparations.

Méndez-Del Villar M, González-Ortiz M, Martínez-Abundis E, Pérez-Rubio KG, Cortez-Navarrete M. · Journal of medicinal food

24 adults with metabolic syndrome; 150 mg extract twice daily or placebo for 90 days.

The treated group showed improvements in waist and several glucose or lipid measures, and more participants met criteria for metabolic-syndrome remission than with placebo. Several numerical results in the abstract are within-group comparisons.

Nonsa-Ard R, Aneknan P, Tong-Un T, Honsawek S, Leelayuwat N. · Nutrients

Overweight or obese adults; observation phase followed by randomized 300 mg extract daily or placebo for 12 weeks.

The extract increased vitamin C and adiponectin at selected time points but did not improve the broader metabolic, adiposity, inflammation or fitness outcomes versus placebo. This limits claims of consistent weight-loss efficacy.

Oben JE, Ngondi JL, Momo CN, Agbor GA, Sobgui CS. · Lipids in health and disease

72 overweight or obese adults; placebo, Cissus alone or Cissus plus Irvingia for 10 weeks.

Both active groups improved several weight and metabolic measures, with larger changes in the combination group. The design does not provide an Irvingia-only comparison.

Oben JE, Ngondi JL, Blum K. · Lipids in health and disease

Murine 3T3-L1 adipocytes exposed to IGOB131 extract in culture.

The extract reduced fat-cell development and altered expression of PPAR-gamma, leptin and adiponectin. These findings offer a mechanistic explanation worth testing in humans.

Yoon SY, Kim J, Lee BS, Baek SC, Chung SJ, Kim KH. · Biomolecules

Isolated terminalin from African-mango seeds; enzyme assays and cultured muscle cells.

Terminalin inhibited several protein tyrosine phosphatases and increased glucose uptake in muscle cells. The work identifies a possible insulin-signaling-related mechanism.

Lee J, Chung M, Fu Z, Choi J, Lee HJ. · Journal of the American College of Nutrition

Five randomized trials; four rated high risk of bias and one low risk.

Pooled weight and lipid results favored African-mango extracts, but trial quality weakened confidence. The one low-risk trial did not show statistically significant outcome differences.

Onakpoya I, Davies L, Posadzki P, Ernst E. · Journal of dietary supplements

2013 review of three randomized trials.

All three trials reported favorable weight or waist results, but poor reporting and limited evidence prevented firm conclusions. The reviewers did not consider efficacy established.

Ramírez-Rodríguez AM, González-Ortiz M, Martínez-Abundis E, Acuña Ortega N. · Journal of medicinal food

24 adults with untreated metabolic syndrome; 150 mg ursolic acid daily or placebo for 12 weeks.

The ursolic-acid group showed improvements in weight, waist, fasting glucose and insulin sensitivity. This small trial provides a positive human signal for metabolic research.

Bang HS, Seo DY, Chung YM, Oh KM, Park JJ, Arturo F, Jeong SH, Kim N, Han J. · The Korean journal of physiology & pharmacology : official journal of the Korean Physiological Society and the Korean Society of Pharmacology

16 men; resistance training with or without 450 mg/day ursolic acid for eight weeks.

The ursolic-acid group showed favorable body-fat, strength and selected hormone changes from baseline. Lean mass did not significantly increase.

Bang HS, Seo DY, Chung YM, Kim DH, Lee SJ, Lee SR, Kwak HB, Kim TN, Kim M, Oh KM, Son YJ, Kim S, Han J. · The Korean journal of physiology & pharmacology : official journal of the Korean Physiological Society and the Korean Society of Pharmacology

16 resistance-trained men; 450 mg/day ursolic acid or control during eight weeks of training.

Several muscle-damage markers decreased with ursolic acid, while body-composition changes were not statistically significant. The findings suggest a possible exercise-recovery research direction.

Lobo PCB, Vieira IP, Pichard C, Marques BS, Gentil P, da Silva EL, Pimentel GD. · Clinical nutrition (Edinburgh, Scotland)

22 active men; 400 mg/day ursolic acid or placebo with resistance training and a high-protein diet for eight weeks.

Both groups gained strength and muscle during training, but ursolic acid provided no additional benefit. This challenges a broad claim that ursolic acid reliably builds or preserves muscle in humans.

Kunkel SD, Elmore CJ, Bongers KS, Ebert SM, Fox DK, Dyle MC, Bullard SA, Adams CM. · PloS one

High-fat-fed mice receiving a diet with ursolic acid.

Ursolic acid increased muscle Akt signaling, muscle and brown-fat measures, and energy expenditure while improving obesity-related outcomes. The work provides a biological rationale for metabolic and muscle research.

Chu X, He X, Shi Z, Li C, Guo F, Li S, Li Y, Na L, Sun C. · Molecular nutrition & food research

Diet-induced obese rats receiving 0.5% ursolic acid for six weeks, plus cell experiments.

Ursolic acid increased fatty-acid uptake and oxidation through an UCP3/AMPK-linked pathway. The animal experiments also showed lower weight and altered muscle lipid metabolism.

Kang D, Cao L. · Nutrients

Male mice with diet-induced obesity; oral ursolic acid treatment for six weeks after obesity induction.

The 2025 study reported improved strength, muscle and lipid measures and less liver fat. It extends the animal evidence for metabolic and muscle-related effects.

Rafiee P, Rasaei N, Amini MR, Rabiee R, Kalantar Z, Sheikhhossein F, Gholizadeh M, Hekmatdoost A. · Future cardiology

Six articles; adult doses 50.94–450 mg/day; search through February 2023.

The meta-analysis did not find significant pooled improvements in body size, body composition, glucose, insulin, blood pressure or the reported lipid outcomes. Human cardiometabolic efficacy remains uncertain despite favorable mechanisms and some small trials.

Anton SD, Morrison CD, Cefalu WT, Martin CK, Coulon S, Geiselman P, Han H, White CL, Williamson DA. · Diabetes technology & therapeutics

42 overweight women reporting carbohydrate cravings; 1,000 mcg elemental chromium as picolinate daily versus placebo for eight weeks; 40 analyzed.

Chromium picolinate reduced measured food intake, hunger and fat cravings compared with placebo. The difference in weight change did not reach statistical significance.

Docherty JP, Sack DA, Roffman M, Finch M, Komorowski JR. · Journal of psychiatric practice

113 adults with atypical depression; 600 mcg elemental chromium as picolinate daily or placebo for eight weeks.

The main depression outcomes did not differ significantly between groups. Appetite-related symptoms and an exploratory subgroup with pronounced carbohydrate cravings showed favorable signals.

Brownley KA, Von Holle A, Hamer RM, La Via M, Bulik CM. · Journal of psychosomatic research

24 overweight adults with binge-eating disorder; 600 or 1,000 mcg chromium as picolinate daily or placebo for six months.

Fasting glucose improved, but reductions in binge frequency, weight and depression symptoms were not statistically significant. The pilot was too small for firm efficacy conclusions.

Martin J, Wang ZQ, Zhang XH, Wachtel D, Volaufova J, Matthews DE, Cefalu WT. · Diabetes care

Adults with type 2 diabetes on glipizide; 29 randomized to placebo or 1,000 mcg chromium as picolinate for six months.

Chromium improved insulin sensitivity and glucose control and attenuated weight gain compared with placebo. The effect occurred in a medication-treated diabetes population.

Iqbal N, Cardillo S, Volger S, Bloedon LT, Anderson RA, Boston R, Szapary PO. · Metabolic syndrome and related disorders

63 adults with metabolic syndrome without diabetes; 1,000 mcg/day chromium as picolinate or placebo for 16 weeks.

Chromium did not significantly improve the primary insulin-sensitivity measure or most other metabolic outcomes. An acute insulin-response measure increased.

Ali A, Ma Y, Reynolds J, Wise JP, Inzucchi SE, Katz DL. · Endocrine practice : official journal of the American College of Endocrinology and the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists

59 adults at increased diabetes risk; modified crossover; 500 or 1,000 mcg/day picolinate supplementation for six-month periods.

Neither dose improved glucose, insulin or insulin-resistance measures versus placebo. Secondary cardiometabolic outcomes also did not improve.

Ebrahimzadehkour B, Jambarsang S, Karimpour F, Hosseini SE, Ramezani V, Jowshan MR, Mozaffari-Khosravi H. · Biological trace element research

48 adults with metabolic syndrome randomized, 40 completed; 400 mcg/day chromium picolinate or placebo for 12 weeks.

The 2026 trial reported modest improvements in HbA1c, HDL cholesterol and blood pressure, with selected adjusted comparisons remaining significant. It did not measure snack intake or demonstrate the polyursolate form.

Tsang C, Taghizadeh M, Aghabagheri E, Asemi Z, Jafarnejad S. · Clinical obesity

21 trials from 19 studies involving 1,316 overweight or obese participants.

Chromium was associated with small pooled reductions in weight, BMI and body-fat percentage; the average weight difference was about 0.75 kg. The authors questioned how clinically meaningful these changes were.

Georgaki MN, Tsokkou S, Keramas A, Papamitsou T, Karachrysafi S, Kazakis N. · Environmental geochemistry and health

Review of randomized diabetes trials published from 2000 through January 2024; multiple chromium forms and doses.

Several trials reported improved glucose or lipid markers, while inconsistency in form, dose and study design limited confidence. The review called for better research to clarify benefits and risks.

Henriksen C, Bügel S. · Food & nutrition research

Scoping review for the Nordic Nutrition Recommendations 2023.

The review describes uncertainty about chromium’s essentiality, status assessment and a recommended intake. High-dose supplement studies do not establish a requirement obtainable through ordinary food intake.

Wewer Albrechtsen NJ, Bak MJ, Hartmann B, Christensen LW, Kuhre RE, Deacon CF, Holst JJ. · Endocrine connections

Human plasma stability experiments; temperature, enzyme inhibitors, storage and freeze–thaw conditions.

Sample handling materially affected hormone recovery, and cooling plus DPP-4 inhibition helped preserve intact GLP-1. Total and active GLP-1 assays measure different molecular pools and need different interpretation.