Carob extract enhances cardiometabolic health in combination with exercise and healthy diet alone, says recent study

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A recent animal study¹ found that a proprietary carob seed and pod extract from Pharmactive, called CSAT+, may support cardiometabolic health when paired with aerobic exercise and a balanced diet. In the study, mice were fed a high fat and sugar diet form 23 weeks, inducing metabolic syndrome. After that, one group remained in the high fat high sugar diet, while the rest were subject to a diet change for the next two weeks. Those mice were divided into four groups: 1) diet change alone, 2) diet change with CSAT+, 3) diet change and aerobic training, and 4) diet change, CSAT+, and aerobic training.

Results showed that caloric reduction and aerobic training both improved the lipid profile of subjects, and attenuated metabolic-syndrome-induced insulin resistance, but only supplementation with CSAT+ enhanced body weight loss, increased circulating levels of adiponectin, and lowered the plasma levels of IL‐6. Aerobic training did not accentuate the body weight loss induced by caloric reduction. According to the study, only CSAT+ supplementation resulted in the reduced weight of epidydimal adipose tissue and reduced liver weight, making it an effective strategy for improving insulin sensitivity in the liver and skeletal muscle.

All interventions improved endothelial function in aorta segments, however only CSAT+ supplementation was shown to reduce obesity‐induced hypertension, prevented endothelial dysfunction in mesenteric arteries, and decreased the vascular response of aorta segments to the vasoconstrictor Ang II. Additionally, alone or in combination with aerobic training, CSAT+ supplementation was associated with a decrease in mRNA levels of pro‐inflammatory markers such as MCP‐1, TNFα, IL‐1β, and IL‐6 and with an increased gene expression of antioxidant enzymes, such as GSR, GPX‐3, and SOD‐1 in the liver, gastrocnemius, retroperitoneal adipose tissue, and aorta.

This study is a follow up to a 2020 study² which found that CSAT+ was effective at reducing the risk of developing cardiometabolic alterations. “The recent study was designed to assess the possible beneficial role of CSAT+ once MetS is has been already established,” explained Daniel Gonzalez-Hedström, PhD, senior scientific researcher for Pharmactive, in a press release. “We also wanted to analyze if supplementation with CSAT+ in combination with aerobic training could offer any synergistic benefit in accentuating the weight-reducing effect and improve metabolic and cardiovascular function in obese mice. CSAT alone had no impact on weight loss in conjunction with a high sugar and fat diet, which also supports the importance of maintaining a balanced diet and lifestyle to cardiovascular health.”

CSAT+ is standardized to 36% galactomannans, 2% oligofructose, and 1% polyphenols. It is 100% soluble, making it suitable for dietary supplements and integration into functional foods and beverages.

References

1. Fuente-Fernández, M et al. “Carob extract supplementation together with caloric restriction and aerobic training accelerates the recovery of cardiometabolic health in mice with metabolic syndrome.” Antioxidants, vol. 11 (2022): 1803
2. Fuente-Fernández, M et al. “Supplementation with a Carob (Ceratonia siliqua L.) fruit extract attenuates the cardiometabolic alterations associated with metabolic syndrome in mice.” Antioxidants, vol. 9 (2020): 339