PhosphoLean® NOPE+EGCG Helps Dieters Cut Calories

ORLANDO, Fla.A dietary supplement containing a blend of 170 mg of N-oleyl-phosphatidylethanolamine (NOPE) and 100 mg of epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) (as PhosphoLean® NOPE+EGCG from Chemi Nutra) enhanced compliance to a low-caloric diet and improve mood after four weeks in a new study from the University of Central Florida (Lipids Health Dis. 2012; 11: 127. DOI: 10.1186/1476-511X-11-127). However, the researchers found the supplement's effectiveness did not last for the entire eight weeks of the study.

Although the results of this study were not quite as impressive as we anticipated, it did show once again that consumption of PhosphoLean NOPE+EGCG allowed subjects to stay on their diets with less stress, better mood and improved feelings of fatigue and confusion," said Scott Hagerman, president of Chemi Nutra. "It is well known that calorie restrictive dieting can be very, very stressful, and largely because of this, approximately 30 percent of all dieters fail in the first five to 10 days. PhosphoLean® NOPE+EGCG can significantly help people stay on their dietsany kind of diet, in fact. And for sure, adherence to a diet, for many weeks, is the best guarantee to successful weight loss."

In this randomized, placebo controlled, double blind study, 50 healthy, overweight men (n=15) and women (n=35), aged 18 to 46, were randomly assigned to either the supplement group (three capsules supplying 300 mg/d of PhosphoLean NOPE+EGCG), n=25) or the placebo group (n=25). Body mass index (BMI) values of the subjects ranged from 25 to 39, and each subject visited the investigators six times during the study.

Based on a self-reported three-day dietary recall, volunteers were recommended a 500-calorie or 30-percent reduction in caloric intake (whichever was greater, but not to exceed 1,000 calories/d). Volunteers were also encouraged to exercise 30 minutes per day, three times per week.

It was evident that almost all of the subjects failed to achieve expected weight loss results, due to insufficient calorie restriction. Nevertheless,  subjects who took PhosphoLean NOPE+EGCG were significantly more compliant (P=0.049) in maintaining a low-caloric diet after four weeks, but this was not maintained through the eight-week study.

In addition, a significant difference in mood, feelings of fatigue and confusion were noted between the groups after four weeks, but again, not maintained by week eight where only feelings of tension were improved. No differences between groups (P>0.05) were observed for body mass, body composition, feelings of hunger and binge eating after eight weeks.

 These findings contrasted with those of a previous study (Br J Nutr 2009,101:457-464),which found PhosphoLean® NOPE+EGCG provided sustained compliance, and improvements in feelings of both satiety and severity of binge eating.

According to Chemin Nutra, previous studies have found oleoyl ethanolamide (OEA) is liberated from the NOPE molecule in the small intestine, and this then binds to a receptor class called peroxisome-proliferator-activated receptor-alpha (PPAR-alpha) found in the intestinal tract. These receptors, when activated, signal a persons brain center to decrease appetite, in turn reduce food intake and thus reduce body weight.

EGCG is derived from green tea and is known to stimulate fat burning.