Background: Metabolic syndrome (MetS) becomes a worldwide epidemic because prevalence of obesity and sedentary lifestyle is increasing. Although the MetS’s prevalence was greater in men than women in Taiwan, women has greater risk for MetS, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease than men because women have more subcutaneous fat than men on average physiologically which makes women’s waist circumference larger in subjects with equal visceral fat, especially in middle age. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of calorie restriction with fish oil and meal replacement on metabolic syndrome in early middle age women. Methods: The 365 eligible subjects were randomly assigned one of four dietary interventions for 12 weeks such as calorie restriction (CR), calorie restriction with meal replacement (CRMR), calorie restriction with fish oil supplementation (CRF), and calorie-restriction with meal replacement and fish oil supplementation (CRMRF). Every dietary intervention group had two age groups, less than 45 and 45 or more. The changes of MetS criteria, inflammatory status, iron status, and RBC were evaluated. Results: 137 subjects were completed the trial. All dietary intervention has significant impact on improvement of MetS criteria and inflammatory status. However, only CR and CRMR group have significant effect on total iron binding capacity (TIBC) and CRF group has significant effect on hepcidin level. Ratio of n-6/n-3 and AA/DHA was significant on CRF and CRMRF group. Conclusions: Dietary intervention of calorie restriction, meal replacement, and fish oil has positive effects on MetS in early middle age women.
Background: Metabolic syndrome (MetS) becomes a worldwide epidemic because prevalence of obesity and sedentary lifestyle is increasing. Although the MetS’s prevalence was greater in men than women in Taiwan, women has greater risk for MetS, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease than men because women have more subcutaneous fat than men on average physiologically which makes women’s waist circumference larger in subjects with equal visceral fat, especially in middle age. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of calorie restriction with fish oil and meal replacement on metabolic syndrome in early middle age women. Methods: The 365 eligible subjects were randomly assigned one of four dietary interventions for 12 weeks such as calorie restriction (CR), calorie restriction with meal replacement (CRMR), calorie restriction with fish oil supplementation (CRF), and calorie-restriction with meal replacement and fish oil supplementation (CRMRF). Every dietary intervention group had two age groups, less than 45 and 45 or more. The changes of MetS criteria, inflammatory status, iron status, and RBC were evaluated. Results: 137 subjects were completed the trial. All dietary intervention has significant impact on improvement of MetS criteria and inflammatory status. However, only CR and CRMR group have significant effect on total iron binding capacity (TIBC) and CRF group has significant effect on hepcidin level. Ratio of n-6/n-3 and AA/DHA was significant on CRF and CRMRF group. Conclusions: Dietary intervention of calorie restriction, meal replacement, and fish oil has positive effects on MetS in early middle age women.