Recent research demonstrated the benefits of natural ingredients for cognition and weight loss, and also reviews the safety of Unigen’s Univestin on specific body systems.

A newly published study in Nutrients showed that Coleus forskohlli—a component used in the proprietary FB3® botanical weight management formula by American Medical Holdings Inc.—may assist in weight management by improving parameters of metabolic health.

The randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical study assessed the effects of 12 weeks supplementation with 250 mg/d of C. forskohlii on key markers of obesity and metabolic parameters in 30 overweight and obese individuals. All participants were advised to follow a hypocaloric diet throughout the study.

According to Vladimir Badmaev, M.D., Ph.D., CEO of American Medical Holdings, the major findnding of the study was that supplementation with C. forskohlii extract in conjunction with a hypocaloric diet significantly improved insulin and insulin resistance and thus may be useful in the management of metabolic risk factors. The C. forskohlii receiving group, but not placebo group, showed a favorable improvement in insulin concentration and insulin resistance (p = 0.001; 0.01 respectively) compared to the placebo group. 

"Interestingly, the intakes of total energy, fat, saturated fat, carbohydrate and dietary cholesterol were significantly reduced in the Coleus forskohlii group and thus the present study indicates that supplementation with C. forskohlii extract in conjunction with dietary advice may be useful for reducing dietary intake," he explained. 

Badmaev added that although it is not clear how C. forskohlii supplementation influences and diminishes dietary fat intake, emerging studies have shown that low fat taste sensitivity is associated with overweight and obesity. The authors of the current study hypothesize that in overweight and obese subjects C. forskohllii supplementation could have led to improved fat taste sensitivity leading to a decreased intake of fatty foods as observed in the study.

Bio Actives Japan announced—in conjuction with American Medical Holdings—that it obtained the High Quality Certification from Japan Health Food and Supplement Association for its FB3 Coleus Forskohlii extract.

Another recent randomized, controlled, double-blind study, published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, found that nutritional supplementation with magnesium threonate (as Magtein® by AIDP), was effective at reversing cognitive impairment, and returned cognitive function almost back to normal ability relative to age.

The effect of magnesium threonate on cognitive ability was evaluated 44 men or women between 50 and 70 years with self-reported memory loss and sleep disorder. Four cognitive domains were studied: executive function, working memory, attention, and episodic memory by administration of the “trail making," “digit span," “flanker," and “face-name" tests, respectively, at baseline, week six and week 12. These cognitive tests represent the best science available, based on the current consensus that multiple domains of cognition should be evaluated to determine cognitive impairment.

Following 12 weeks of magnesium threonate (as Magtein®) use there was an average increase of 10.3±3.8 percent in TMT-B speed, such that their speed was close to that of their age-matched controls. The data demonstrates that magnesium threonate use was effective in subjects at improving cognitive ability almost back to normal levels relative to age.

Guosong Liu, M.D., Ph.D., professor and founding director of the Center for Learning and Memory, School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing, and principal investigator of the study, said, “This study highlights the importance of increasing neuronal intracellular magnesium, a key intermediary of synapse density control, for improving cognitive abilities in older adults."

Unigen Inc. published a study in Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology showing Univestin—a botanical composition of standardized extracts from roots of Scutellaria baicalensis and heartwoods of Acacia catechu—has no adverse effects on the cardiovascular, respiratory and central nervous systems.

Univestin has been evaluated in more than fifteen studies, ranging from discovery to human clinical trials. In this new publication, Univestin’s effect on the cardiovascular, respiratory and central nervous systems was evaluated and found no adverse effects on these systems at levels much greater than suggested serving size for human consumption.