## 4 Discussion
Regarding weight management treatments, lifestyle interventions have been shown to be beneficial for weight loss [34], although in most cases, the lost weight is eventually regained [35]. Therefore, finding methods to increase adherence, such as reducing the number of capsules to take, can have longer-lasting benefits. Similarly, the possibility of using more innovative final product formats, such as gummies, gels or drinks, can also facilitate adherence [36]. However, these formats have additional technical challenges, such as ingredient stability, solubility, and organoleptic. This is particularly true in the case of botanicals. In this regard, the botanical blend has been tested in gummy formats and drinks, and while the ingredient was found to be stable and soluble, it presented certain organoleptic challenges. Also, a 500 mg daily dose requires having to divide the dose into at least three gummies, which can be too high. Therefore, the possibility of using a lower dose, while retaining to a certain point its functional benefits, can be advantageous for its use in these end formats. Besides the differences regarding dose, the current study presents additional insights on the product's effects that have not been addressed in previous studies. For example, satiety assessment was performed in this case at different intervals of the study, while in previous reports, this was conducted only at the beginning and end of the trial [15; 20]. As a result, it was observed that the product's effect on satiety can be perceived by the participants as early as 30 days post-meal. This information provides further proof that the product's effect resides in the signaling pathway that is activated when eating. Previous studies suggested that this was at least partly due to increased GLP-1 expression [15; 20], which is a known satiety-inducing hormone, and that the gut microbiome plays an important role [37]. Our investigations have also elucidated on the potential gut microbiome-modulating effects of the ingredient, increasing short-chain fatty acid production, particularly butyrate, while increasing the population of several bacterial populations that are implicated in obesity and type 2 diabetes, such as _Akkermansia_, _Prevotella_, or _Blautia_[22; 38]. In addition, the current study has revealed that under normoglycemic and normotensive conditions, the product does not have any significant effect. This is especially relevant, as there are concerns regarding the effect of certain dietary supplements that may have blood pressure- or glucose-lowering effects, which in healthy individuals could potentially lower their levels to hypotensive or hypoglycemic levels. In the current study, no such effect was observed, proving that the product is safe for these individuals. Lastly, this is the first study conducted with the ingredient that has provided a complete comparative analysis of body composition using anthropometry, biimpedance, and DEXA scan. While this may seem redundant, it provides proof of the robustness of the evidence observed with the botanical blend on body fat mass loss. Significant reductions were observed in all three assessments, with special emphasis on the reduction in the upper body/visceral fat mass. Therefore, the study provides additional supporting evidence on the effect of the product in reducing body weight mainly by targeting visceral body fat, while muscle, bone, and water mass are largely unaffected. Limitations of the current study include the duration of the study (3 months). While this is a standard duration in many intervention studies of this kind, it does not allow elucidation on the effectiveness of the ingredient in the long term. Also, a larger study population would have allowed assessment of possible statistical differences in the biological parameters analyzed based on gender.