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Effects of Whole Grain Wheat Bread on Visceral Fat Obesity in Japanese Subjects: A Randomized Double-Blind Study

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Abstract

Metabolic syndrome is a risk factor for cardiovascular diseases and has become increasingly common in Japan. Epidemiological studies show inverse associations between intake of whole wheat grains and metabolic syndrome, but few dietary intervention trials have investigated the effect of whole wheat grain consumption. It was investigated whether a diet in which refined wheat bread (RW diet) was substituted by whole grain wheat bread (WW diet) would reduce visceral fat obesity in Japanese subjects. A randomized double-blind placebo-controlled intervention study was conducted in 50 Japanese subjects with body mass index (BMI) ≥ 23 kg/m2. Subjects were randomly assigned WW (WW group) or RW diets (RW group) for 12 weeks. Blood samples and computed tomography scans were obtained every 6th week. The WW group showed decrease (−4 cm2) in visceral fat area (VFA) (p < 0.05), whereas the RW group showed no significant changes. These time-dependent changes were significantly different between the groups. WW diet led to significant and safe reductions in VFA in subjects with BMI ≥ 23 kg/m2. WW diet may contribute to preventing visceral fat obesity.

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Fig. 1
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Abbreviations

BMI:

body mass index

HbA1c:

glycated hemoglobin

HDL:

high-density lipoprotein

LDL:

low-density lipoprotein

SE:

standard error

VFA:

visceral fat area

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Funding

The authors are grateful to CPCC Co., Ltd. for planning and analytical support. The study was supported by a Research Project on Development of Agricultural Products and Food with Health-promoting Benefits awarded by NARO, Japan (Grant No, A-2). Authors KY, NS, MM, YS, and FS are employees of Nisshin Seifun Group Inc.

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Correspondence to Seiichiro Aoe.

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The other authors YT, and AS declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Kikuchi, Y., Nozaki, S., Makita, M. et al. Effects of Whole Grain Wheat Bread on Visceral Fat Obesity in Japanese Subjects: A Randomized Double-Blind Study. Plant Foods Hum Nutr 73, 161–165 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11130-018-0666-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11130-018-0666-1

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