Anti-inflammatory Dietary Intervention in Overweight and Obese Adolescents
Condition: Overweight; Obesity
MeSH terms: Overweight
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      The number of overweight and obese children has increased in Ireland at a greater rate than
      worldwide trends. The poor eating patterns that drive adolescent obesity leads to an increase
      in the number of unhealthy inflammatory hormones and fats circulating in the blood which
      increase an adolescent's risk of developing diabetes and heart disease later in life. Dietary
      patterns have changed whereby key nutrients that are found in fruit, vegetables and fish,
      which are known to have beneficial effects and reduce risk of obesity and diabetes in later
      life, may need to be replaced. This project will determine whether a key anti-inflammatory
      nutrient supplement taken for 8 weeks will improve the metabolic profile of adolescents aged
      13-18 years old. Detailed cellular analysis will determine the cellular and molecular
      mechanisms to provide a thorough explanation of the health effects of this intervention.
    

Detailed description: 
      The emerging model of obesity and diabetes is characterised by sub-acute chronic inflammation
      and insulin resistance. Mechanistic data indicates inflamed adipose tissue with increased
      infiltration of immune cells that generate pro-inflammatory cytokines. With childhood obesity
      in Ireland increasing at a rapid pace, it is important to establish the role of a
      non-pharmacological dietary approach to decreasing the sub-acute chronic inflammation seen in
      overweight and obese children. Several foods contain nutrients that are known to have
      anti-inflammatory properties. Such foods including fish, fruits and vegetables are known to
      be deplete in the adolescent diet. The aim of this project is to investigate whether a
      nutritional supplement containing anti-inflammatory nutrients, n-3 polyunsaturated fatty
      acids (found in fish oil), vitamin C, vitamin E, and polyphenols found in green tea and
      tomato; will improve metabolic phenotype in 13-18 year old teenagers over an 8-week period.
      Further, to provide insight into the role of genetics in the development of metabolic
      dysregulation and response to dietary treatment.
    

Intervention name(s): Supplement containing fish oil, vitamin C, alpha-tocopherol, green tea extract and lycopene; Placebo supplement
Intervention type(s): Dietary Supplement; Dietary Supplement
Intervention description(s): 1 x fruit juice fortified with salmon oil containing 1000mg EPA and 1000mg DHA daily for 8 weeks
AND
4 x film-coated tablets containing 561mg vitamin C, 389mg alpha-tocopherol, 416mg green tea extract and 15mg lycopene daily for 8 weeks
in conjunction with a weight management programme; 1 x fruit juice fortified fortified with high oleic sunflower oil daily for 8 weeks
AND
4 x film-coated placebo tablets daily for 8 weeks
in conjunction with a weight management programme
Intervention MeSH terms: Tocopherols; Vitamin E; alpha-Tocopherol; Lycopene
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention model: Crossover Assignment
Masking: Quadruple (Participant, Care Provider, Investigator, Outcomes Assessor)
Primary purpose: Treatment
Keywords: Obesity; Chronic inflammation; Anti-inflammatory dietary intervention; Genetic susceptibility