Wellbeing Digital Sciences Inc (NEO:MEDI.AQN, OTCQB:KONEF), a healthcare company focused on clinical solutions and contract research, has revealed that a clinical study conducted by its wholly-owned subsidiary KGK Science Inc for the Beachbody Company’s superfood Shakeology nutrition shake has just been published in the Journal of Nutrition.
The Vancouver-based contract research firm said the aim of the study was to determine if using Shakeology twice daily can improve weight loss and metabolic outcomes in otherwise healthy overweight and obese adults. The benefits experienced by people in the study align with many years of the results that Shakeology has delivered to consumers, noted the firm.
Significantly, people in the Shakeology group lost more weight, saw decreases in cholesterol and increases in the metabolic hormone adiponectin, compared to the people in the placebo group, said the company.
READ: Wellbeing Digital Sciences says its KGK Science subsidiary engaged by Lophos Pharmaceuticals for novel peyote study
The 12-week, randomized, double-blinded and placebo-controlled clinical trial included a sample of 206 overweight and obese adults from four different locations in the US and Canada. Participants in the study were randomized to drink Shakeology or a calorie-matched placebo 30 minutes before breakfast and lunch, while following a calorie-restricted diet for 12 weeks. The primary outcome of the study centered on weight loss that was far greater in the Shakeology group than in the placebo group.
Other than greater weight loss, the benefits of Shakeology include the protein, fiber, superfood, and phytonutrient blends in the drink that contribute to the overall health benefit. The most novel finding from the study was the increase in the metabolic hormone, adiponectin, which is produced by adipose tissues in the body and influences how a person’s body makes, uses, and stores energy.
Dr Heather Leidy, a member of The Beachbody Company Scientific Advisory Board and an Associate Professor in the Department of Nutrition at the University of Texas, Austin who collaborated on the study said: “This study illustrated that the consumption of nutrient-rich protein and fiber shakes, like Shakeology, can lead to significant weight loss and uniquely increase the secretion of adiponectin – which is a hormone that, in essence, supports normal blood sugar levels and cardiovascular health.
She added: “Thus, these findings support the inclusion of nutritious shakes, containing protein and fiber, to promote weight management and metabolic health.”
Meanwhile, KGK ScienceCEO Najla Guthrie said it was “an honor” to be engaged by The Beachbody Company to conduct the clinical study.
“We are pleased with how it was executed and the results that it yielded about the Shakeology product for our client. We look forward to potentially working more with The Beachbody Company and other such clients in the nutrition industry that ae interested in learning more about their products, intellectual property, or other topics of study.”
Founded in 1997, KGK is a leading North American contract research organization based in London, Ontario that provides clinical research trials on nutraceutical and emerging healthcare products.
Contact the author Uttara Choudhury at uttara@proactiveinvestors.com
Follow her on Twitter: @UttaraProactive