Hydrangea Serrata Supplementation Aids in BMI and Body Weight Reduction in Overweight Individuals

by | Apr 11, 2022 | 2022, Obesity, Weight Control

Written by Taylor Woosley, Staff Writer. 12-week supplementation with a once daily oral supplementation of 600mg of Hydrangea serrata leaves extract decreased overall body weight, body mass, and BMI levels, significantly reducing areas of visceral and abdominal fat, along with hip circumference. 

health hazards - obesity - weight controlObesity, defined as the excessive or abnormal accumulation of body fat, is a major global health problem in modern society 1. A body mass index (BMI) of 25 to <30 kg/m2 is categorized as overweight, with a BMI ≥30 kg/m2 is considered obese 2. Incidence of obesity increases the risk of various chronic diseases, such as cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes, and is associated with lower life expectancy 3. In 2014, over 2.1 billion people or 30% of the global population were overweight or obese and if the obesity incidence continues at this rate, nearly half of the global adult population will be obese by 2030 4.

One popular treatment for obesity is medication, many of which may have potentially dangerous or damaging side effects. Therefore, it is necessary to research various herbs and plants which may offer the same anti-obesity effects without negative side effects. One such herb that has been studied for its potential to decrease or diminish body weight and body fat is the hot water extract of Hydrangea serrata (Thunb.) Ser. leaves. Hydrangea plants have been used medicinally, primarily in Asian countries, due to the reported health benefits which include improving insulin resistance, along with providing anti-bacterial activities 5. Hydrangea serrata contains several bioactive compounds, including coumarins, terpenoids, and iridoids, exerting protective effects against maintaining skeletal muscle mass and function 6. In addition, Hydrangea plants contain hydrangenol, which provides defensive properties against cell viability and pro-inflammatory cytokines 7. Previous studies focused on the potential effects of Hydrangea serrata supplementation to reduce body fat and weight showed promising results in mice studies, significantly preventing body weight gain in obese mice 8.

Han et. al conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical study to further explore the potential use of Hydrangea serrata to effectively reduce body weight and body fat in overweight and obese individuals. 120 subjects (aged 19-65 years), with BMIs from 25 to <32 kg/m2, were split evenly and assigned to either a placebo group or the hot water extract of Hydrangea serrata leaves (WHS) group. Subjects were instructed to consume a 600-mg WHS tablet or placebo once a day for 12 weeks. Participants visited the clinic a total of 4 separate times from baseline to completion in order to obtain body weight and blood markers such as cholesterol, a CT scan was performed to analyze abdominal fat, and a DEXA scan was used to assess changes in body fat mass. After completion of the 12 weeks of the study, the main findings are as follows:

  • Changes in body fat masses were more significant in the WHS group (p=0.0130), thus decreasing by 991.71 ± 2660.98g, while the placebo group increased by 312.91 ± 1379.49g, which showed a statistically significant difference between groups (p=0.0049).
  • Changes in fat percentages between groups was also significantly noted, the WHS group reduced fat percentages by 0.57 ± 2.46%, whereas the placebo group increased by 0.31 ± 1.39% compared to baseline (p=0.0467).
  • Body weight and BMI were measured in both groups at Week 6 and Week 12 and the WHS group had decreasing numbers by 0.40 ± 2.15 kg at Week 6 (p=0.2015) and 1.75 ± 3.21 kg at Week 12 (p=0.004) while no significant changes were noted in placebo group.
  • The BMIs of the WHS group reduced by 0.17 ± 0.77 kg/m2 (p=0.1371) and 0.64 ± 1.19 kg/m2 (p=0.005) after Week 6 and Week 12, respectively. This showed significant differences when compared to the placebo group at Week 6 and Week 12 (p=0.0433 and p=0.0026).
  • Waist circumferences of both groups significantly decreased at Week 6 (p=0.0111 for placebo and p=0.0023 for WHS group) and at Week 12 (p=0.005 for placebo and p<0.0001 for WHS group).

Study findings show the robust ability of Hydrangea serrata to aid in significantly decreasing body weight and fat mass in overweight and obese individuals. Not only does the herb work effectively but it also showed no negative side effects and was proven to be a safe way to help those looking to lose weight. Further research should continue to observe Hydrangea serrata and its potential use as a therapeutic treatment to address unhealthy BMI and body weight levels in obese individuals.

Source: Han, Hee-Soo, Kyung-Sook Chung, Yu-Kyong Shin, Jae-Sik Yu, Seung-Hyun Kang, Sun-Hee Lee, and Kyung-Tae Lee. “Effect of Standardized Hydrangea serrata (Thunb.) Ser. Leaves Extract on Body Weight and Body Fat Reduction in Overweight or Obese Humans: A Randomized Double-Blind Placebo-Controlled Study.” Nutrients 14, no. 1 (2022): 208.

© 2022 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https:// creativecommons.org/licenses/by/ 4.0/).

Click here to read the full text study.

Posted April 11, 2022.

Taylor Woosley studied biology at Purdue University before becoming a 2016 graduate of Columbia College Chicago with a major in Writing. She currently resides in Glen Ellyn, IL.

References:

  1. Mayoral LP, Andrade GM, Mayoral EP, et al. Obesity subtypes, related biomarkers & heterogeneity. Indian J Med Res. Jan 2020;151(1):11-21. doi:10.4103/ijmr.IJMR_1768_17
  2. Ward ZJ, Bleich SN, Cradock AL, et al. Projected U.S. State-Level Prevalence of Adult Obesity and Severe Obesity. The New England journal of medicine. Dec 19 2019;381(25):2440-2450. doi:10.1056/NEJMsa1909301
  3. Nimptsch K, Konigorski S, Pischon T. Diagnosis of obesity and use of obesity biomarkers in science and clinical medicine. Metabolism. Mar 2019;92:61-70. doi:10.1016/j.metabol.2018.12.006
  4. Tremmel M, Gerdtham UG, Nilsson PM, Saha S. Economic Burden of Obesity: A Systematic Literature Review. Int J Environ Res Public Health. Apr 19 2017;14(4)doi:10.3390/ijerph14040435
  5. Hwang J, Youn K, Lim G, Lee J, Kim DH, Jun M. Discovery of Natural Inhibitors of Cholinesterases from Hydrangea: In Vitro and In Silico Approaches. Nutrients. Jan 17 2021;13(1)doi:10.3390/nu13010254
  6. Han HS, Chung KS, Shin YK, Lee SH, Lee KT. Standardized Hydrangea serrata (Thunb.) Ser. Extract Ameliorates Obesity in db/db Mice. Nutrients. Oct 16 2021;13(10)doi:10.3390/nu13103624
  7. Myung DB, Lee JH, Han HS, et al. Oral Intake of Hydrangea serrata (Thunb.) Ser. Leaves Extract Improves Wrinkles, Hydration, Elasticity, Texture, and Roughness in Human Skin: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study. Nutrients. May 28 2020;12(6)doi:10.3390/nu12061588
  8. Han HS, Lee HH, Gil HS, et al. Standardized hot water extract from the leaves of Hydrangea serrata (Thunb.) Ser. alleviates obesity via the AMPK pathway and modulation of the gut microbiota composition in high fat diet-induced obese mice. Food Funct. Mar 21 2021;12(6):2672-2685. doi:10.1039/d0fo02185g