Efficacy of a novel herbal formulation for weight loss demonstrated in a 16‐week randomized, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled clinical trial with healthy overweight adults

Aim To re‐evaluate the weight loss efficacy of LI85008F in healthy overweight adults via a 16‐week randomized, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled clinical study. Materials and Methods One hundred and forty overweight participants (body mass index [BMI] 27‐29.9 kg/m 2 , 29.3% male; ages 21‐50 years) were randomized into placebo ( n =70) and LI85008F ( n =70) groups. The participants received either 900 mg/d of LI85008F in two divided doses or two identical placebo capsules. In addition, participants were counselled to follow an ~1800 kcal/d diet and to engage in walking for 30 min, 5 d/wk throughout the study. Results At the end of the trial period, the LI85008F supplemented group showed significant reductions in body weight (5.36 ± 1.769 vs. 0.87 ± 1.381 kg; P < 0.0001) and BMI (2.05 ± 0.693 vs. 0.34 ± 0.559 kg/m 2 ; P < 0.0001), compared with placebo. Significant reductions in waist and hip circumferences, and a 2.08‐fold reduction of waist/hip ratio, were noted in the LI85008F supplemented group. LI85008F supplementation also resulted in significant improvements in lipid profiles, compared with the placebo; low‐density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol decreased, while high‐density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol increased, resulting in a significantly improved LDL/HDL ratio. No major adverse events were reported by the participants during the study. Conclusions The unique herbal extract blend LI85008F, combined with modest calorie restriction and physical activity, is well tolerated, safe, and effective for weight management in overweight men and women. Video Abstract A free Video Abstract to accompany this article is available at: https://player.vimeo.com/video/288617068 .