Microalgae extract supports metabolic health and bone mass during diet and exercise routine

Photo © AdobeStock.com/Jacob Lund

A recent study¹ found that a microalgae extract from Microphyt (Baillargues, France), called PhaeOptim, may be a valuable complement to a diet and exercise regimen. In the study, 37 overweight but otherwise healthy women were randomized to receive either a placebo or 220 mg per day of the extract, derived from the microalgae strain Phaeodactylum tricornutum, for 12 weeks while following a calorie-restricted diet and exercise routine that involved resistance training and walking.

Results showed that supplementation with the extract did not contribute to additional weight loss or fat loss, but researchers did observe that supplementation did preserved bone mass and density to a greater degree, promoted greater improvements in daily walking steps, resting heart rate, aerobic capacity, blood lipid profiles, adherence to diet goals, as well as functional activity tolerance, pain, and measures of quality of life. For example, women taking the extract experienced a 1.4% increase in bone mineral density while the placebo group saw a 1.9% decrease in bone mineral density. Additionally, women taking the extract saw a 10% increase in relative VO2peak after 6 weeks, a 8.5% reduction in resting heart rate (RHR), and 14.5% higher levels of HDL cholesterol, with a 21% lower ratio of LDL-HDL. According to the researchers, “reduction in RHR is particularly noteworthy given its relationship to reducing myocardial oxygen demand and risk to cardiovascular disease.

“These promising findings demonstrate PhaeOptim supports a holistic approach to weight management interventions by improving major physiological components that could optimize adherence to a healthy lifestyle,” said Jonathan Maury, PhD, clinical research manager of Microphyt, in a press release. “PhaeOptim helped women adhere to weight management interventions goals by improving exercise adaptations creating a more supportive, effective, and possibly comfortable experience.”

“PhaeOptim is a natural, sustainable and clinically proven functional ingredient that can help consumers’ wellness journey by augmenting healthy exercise and dietary choices,” added Maury. “This study demonstrates the efficacy of PhaeOptim in enhancing exercise capacity, and cardiovascular health, as well as preventing bone damage.”

PhaeOptim is standardized to 4.4 mg of fucoxanthin, which is a carotenoid and antioxidant that is naturally present in the microalgae.

Reference

Dickerson, B.; Maury, J.; Jenkins, V.; Nottinghan, K,: Xing, D.; Gonzalez, D.E.; Leonard, M.; Kendra, J. Effects of supplementation with microalgae extract from Phaeodactylum tricornutum (Mi136) to support benefits from a weight management intervention in overweight women. Nutrients. 2024, 16 (7), 990. DOI: 10.3390/nu16070990