Sunflower Seed Extract Improves Body Weight, Fat Mass, and Lipid Profile in Obese Subjects

by | Jun 3, 2019 | 2019, Nuts and Seeds, Obesity, Weight Control

Written by Angeline A. De Leon, Staff Writer. Compared to the placebo group, consumption of sunflower CGA extract (500 mg/day) for 12 weeks significantly reduced BMI, waist circumference and body weight in the intervention group of thirty participating obese subjects.

Sunflower seeds are the fruits of the sunflower plant and are notable for their abundance in vitamins, nutrients, and antioxidants. Almost 5% of the total mass of sunflower residues from the oil extraction process is comprised of phenolic antioxidants, with chlorogenic acids (CGA’s) being the most predominant 1. CGA’s possess powerful anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, and hypoglycemic properties which afford them a regulatory role in glucose and lipid metabolism 2-4. Indeed, a number of in-vitro and in-vivo studies link CGA’s with improvement in insulin resistance, glucose tolerance, cholesterol levels, and even enhanced fat metabolism 2. More recent work in animal research suggests that an ethanolic sunflower seed extract can safely and effectively decrease blood glucose and cholesterol in diabetic rats 5. With the health field’s continuing research efforts focused on the development of anti-obesity measures 6,7, sunflower seed extract, with its CGA-rich nutrient profile and evidence-based cardiometabolic benefits, may offer a safe and low-cost strategy for managing weight and improving metabolism. Thus, a recent study published in Nutrients (2019) examined the impact of sunflower seed extract standardized for CGA’s on body weight and body composition in obese adults.

Using a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group study design, researchers enrolled a total of 50 obese adults (aged 18 to 65 years) with a body mass index (BMI) between 30 and 40 kg/m2. Subjects were placed on a hypocaloric diet and then randomly assigned to ingest 250 mg of either sunflower seed extract (standardized for 40% CGA’s) (n = 30) or matching maltodextrin placebo (n = 20) twice daily for 12 weeks. At five different points, including baseline and at the end of the study, anthropometric measurements were taken (body weight; BMI; waist circumference, WC; fat mass; lean mass) and blood samples extracted in order to analyze glucose, total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C, LDL-C), triglycerides (TG), and free fatty acids (FFA).

As compared to placebo, the sunflower extract group showed significant reduction in BMI (mean change = -2.60, p = 0.02) and WC (mean change = -8.44 cm, p = 0.001) at the end of 12 weeks. The sunflower group was also seen to experience a significant reduction in cholesterol, compared to placebo (mean change = -18.43 mg/dL, p = 0.02). Additional analyses revealed that female subjects older than 30 years old had significantly greater reduction in body weight (mean change = -7.28 kg, p = 0.043), fat mass (mean change = -5.26 kg, p = 0.018), and body fat percentage (mean change = -2.69%, p = 0.047) when treated with sunflower seed extract vs. placebo. In this subgroup of women, the correlation between change in fat mass and change in total body weight was very strong (R2 = 0.87, p < 0.0001).

The first randomized clinical trial examining the health effects of CGA’s from sunflower seeds, the current investigation provides evidence showing that regular intake of CGA’s from sunflower seed extract can significantly improve body weight, fat mass, and lipid profile in obese subjects. The anti-obesity effects of sunflower seed extract were particularly pronounced for women over 30 years of age, and data suggest that changes in body composition were primarily explained by loss of fat mass, rather than increased muscle mass. Overall, findings support the utility of CGA-rich sunflower seed extract as a preventative supplement against obesity and potentially other cardiometabolic diseases. Given the relatively small sample size in the study, it would be helpful to confirm findings in a larger pool of participants. Additional studies looking at the dose-dependent effects of sunflower extract and its potential efficacy compared to other CGA-rich herbal products, like green coffee bean extract, are also warranted.

Source: Leverrier A, Daguet D, Calame W, et al. Helianthus annuus seed extract affects weight and body composition of healthy obese adults during 12 weeks of consumption: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot study. Nutrients. 2019; 11: 1080. DOI: 10.3390/nu11051080.

© 2019 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 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).

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Posted June 3, 2019.

Angeline A. De Leon, MA, graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2010, completing a bachelor’s degree in psychology, with a concentration in neuroscience. She received her master’s degree from The Ohio State University in 2013, where she studied clinical neuroscience within an integrative health program. Her specialized area of research involves the complementary use of neuroimaging and neuropsychology-based methodologies to examine how lifestyle factors, such as physical activity and meditation, can influence brain plasticity and enhance overall connectivity.

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