A new clinical study shows that a special ingredient is effective in the treatment of metabolic syndrome. The ingredient has mainly been marketed for weight management thanks to its ability to bind to fat in the gut.

Metabolic syndrome, also known as Syndrome X, is described as a collection of conditions that increase risk of lifestyle-related illnesses such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

A person would be said to have the syndrome if they have three out of the following five conditions: high fasting glucose levels, abdominal obesity; high blood pressure, high blood triglyceride levels; and low HDL (high density lipoprotein) cholesterol.

The study was conducted in France in 2006. Sixty-eight women with a Body Mass Index of between 25 and 40 and diagnosed with Metabolic Syndrome were recruited. The study was monocentric, randomised, double-blind, placebo controlled.

Half of the women were given the special ingredient and the other half a placebo.

Researchers found that the ingredient improved the level of "good cholesterol". They found that in women 45 years or older it caused a large improvement by increasing levels of good HDL-cholesterol and decreasing levels of triglycerides.

At the end of the study, almost 40 per cent of women in the control group were no longer diagnosed with metabolic syndrome.

The research, published in The International Journal of Drug, Devices & Diagnostic Research, shows that the ingredient could help balance blood lipid levels and reduce cardiovascular risk due to its beneficial effects on HDL cholesterol.

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