title: Matured hop extract reduces body fat in healthy overweight humans: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled parallel group study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Hops are the main components of beer that provide flavor and bitterness. Iso-α-acids, the bitter components of beer, have been reported to reduce body fat in humans, but the bitterness induced by effective doses of iso-α-acids precludes their acceptance as a nutrient. The matured hop bitter acids (MHBA) of oxidized hops appear to have a more pleasant bitterness compared to the sharper bitterness of iso-α-acids. While there has been little information concerning the identity of the MHBA compounds and their physiological effects, MHBA was recently found to be primarily composed of oxides derived from α-acids, and structurally similar to iso-α-acids. Here, we investigated the effects of matured hop extract (MHE) containing MHBA on reducing abdominal body fat in healthy subjects with a body mass index (BMI) of 25 to below 30 kg/m(2), classified as "obese level 1" in Japan or as "overweight" by the WHO.
  
  
  METHODS
  A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled parallel group study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two hundred subjects (male and female aged 20 to below 65 years with a BMI of 25 or more and less than 30 kg/m(2)) were randomly assigned to two groups. During a 12-week ingestion period, the subjects in each group ingested daily 350 mL of test-beverage, either containing MHE (with 35 mg MHBA), i.e. the namely active beverage, or a placebo beverage without MHE. The primary endpoint was reduction of the abdominal fat area as determined by CT scanning after continual ingestion of MHE for 12 weeks.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared to the placebo group, a significant reduction was observed in the visceral fat area after 8 and 12 w, and in the total fat area after 12 w in the active group. There was also a concomitant decrease in body fat ratio in the active group compared to the placebo group. No adverse events related to the test beverages or clinically relevant abnormal changes in the circulatory, blood and urine parameters were observed in either group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The present study suggests that continual ingestion of MHE safely reduces body fat, particularly the abdominal visceral fat of healthy overweight subjects.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  UMIN-CTR UMIN000014185.
authors.affiliation: Research Laboratories for Health Science and Food Technologies, Kirin Company, Ltd, 1-13-5, Fukuura, Kanazawa-ku, Yokohama, 236-0004, Japan. Yumie_Kobayashi@kirin.co.jp.
authors.forename: Yumie
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Morimoto-Kobayashi
authors.affiliation: Research Laboratories for Health Science and Food Technologies, Kirin Company, Ltd, 1-13-5, Fukuura, Kanazawa-ku, Yokohama, 236-0004, Japan. Kazuaki_Ohara@kirin.co.jp.
authors.forename: Kazuaki
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ohara
authors.affiliation: Research Laboratories for Health Science and Food Technologies, Kirin Company, Ltd, 1-13-5, Fukuura, Kanazawa-ku, Yokohama, 236-0004, Japan. Hiroshi_Ashigai@kirin.co.jp.
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ashigai
authors.affiliation: Research Laboratories for Health Science and Food Technologies, Kirin Company, Ltd, 1-13-5, Fukuura, Kanazawa-ku, Yokohama, 236-0004, Japan. t-hara@kirin.co.jp.
authors.forename: Tomoka
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kanaya
authors.affiliation: Research Laboratories for Health Science and Food Technologies, Kirin Company, Ltd, 1-13-5, Fukuura, Kanazawa-ku, Yokohama, 236-0004, Japan. k-shimamoto@kirin.co.jp.
authors.forename: Kumiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Koizumi
authors.affiliation: Research Laboratories for Health Science and Food Technologies, Kirin Company, Ltd, 1-13-5, Fukuura, Kanazawa-ku, Yokohama, 236-0004, Japan. Fumitoshi_Manabe@kirin.co.jp.
authors.forename: Fumitoshi
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Manabe
authors.affiliation: Research Laboratories for Health Science and Food Technologies, Kirin Company, Ltd, 1-13-5, Fukuura, Kanazawa-ku, Yokohama, 236-0004, Japan. Yuji_1_Kaneko@kirin.co.jp.
authors.forename: Yuji
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kaneko
authors.affiliation: Central Laboratories for Key Technologies, Kirin Company, Ltd, 1-13-5, Fukuura, Kanazawa-ku, Yokohama, 236-0004, Japan. Yoshimasa_Taniguchi@kirin.co.jp.
authors.forename: Yoshimasa
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Taniguchi
authors.affiliation: Research Laboratories for Health Science and Food Technologies, Kirin Company, Ltd, 1-13-5, Fukuura, Kanazawa-ku, Yokohama, 236-0004, Japan. katayamam@kirin.co.jp.
authors.forename: Mikio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Katayama
authors.affiliation: Ueno Clinic, Aiseikai Public Interest Incorporated Foundation, 2-18-6, Higashiueno, Taito-ku, Tokyo, 110-0015, Japan. kowatari@04.alumni.u-tokyo.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Yasuyuki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kowatari
authors.affiliation: Fukushima Healthcare Center, Kensyokai Medical Corporation, 2-12-16, Tamakawa, Fukushima-ku, Osaka, 553-0004, Japan. ko283434@ares.eonet.ne.jp.
authors.forename: Sumio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kondo
mesh_terms: D050153:Abdominal Fat / Q000187:drug effects*; D050154:Adiposity / Q000187:drug effects*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases / Q000097:blood; D001515:Beer; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001835:Body Weight; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL / Q000097:blood; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL / Q000097:blood; D053138:Cyclohexenes / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000032:analysis; D004040:Dietary Carbohydrates / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000032:analysis; D004041:Dietary Fats / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000032:analysis; D004043:Dietary Fiber / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000032:analysis; D004044:Dietary Proteins / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000032:analysis; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D023381:Endpoint Determination; D002149:Energy Intake; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D027582:Humulus / Q000737:chemistry*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009043:Motor Activity; D050177:Overweight / Q000188:drug therapy*; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D013729:Terpenes / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000032:analysis; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood; D055105:Waist Circumference; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D008076:Cholesterol, HDL; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL; D053138:Cyclohexenes; D004040:Dietary Carbohydrates; D004041:Dietary Fats; D004043:Dietary Fiber; D004044:Dietary Proteins; D010936:Plant Extracts; D013729:Terpenes; D014280:Triglycerides; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases; D000410:Alanine Transaminase; C007966:humulon