Efficacy of the Ayurvedic herbal formulation HFO-02 in obesity – A clinical study

Overweight is a common condition associated with increased risk of hypertension, type 2 diabetes, dyslipidemia and cardiovascular disease. This clinical trial investigates the efficacy of the Ayurvedic herbal formulation HFO-02 in overweight adults.

Method

The open-label, prospective study was conducted at Bharati Vidyapeeth Deemed University, Pune, India. Eighteen participants were recruited, of whom 14 completed the study. The treatment lasted for 90 days, followed by a 30-day follow-up period.

Study intervention:

HFO-02 tablets (500 mg): 2 tablets, twice daily before meals with water.

Ingredients: Triphala (150 mg), Trimad (60 mg), Guggul (50 mg) and Vrikshamla (250 mg).

Measurement parameters: Anthropometric measurements (weight, waist circumference, hip circumference, neck circumference, skinfold thickness), biochemical parameters (blood glucose, lipid profile, C-reactive protein, leptin, adiponectin) were recorded every 15 days.

Results

1. Anthropometric measurements:

Weight and BMI: no significant changes over the entire study period.

Waist circumference: Decrease of 3.04 cm by day 120 (p < 0.05).

Hip circumference: Reduction of 2.32 cm by day 120 (p < 0.01).

Neck circumference: reduction of 1.58 cm by day 120 (p < 0.001).

Skinfold thickness (SFT): Significant reduction in biceps, triceps, subscapular and suprailiac region (p < 0.05).

2. Biochemical parameters:

Blood glucose and lipid profile: no significant changes.

C-reactive protein (CRP): Reduction during treatment until day 90, but increase during the follow-up period.

Leptin and adiponectin: No significant changes.

3. Side effects:

No serious side effects were reported.

The study shows that HFO-02 can cause a significant reduction in body circumference and skinfold thickness in overweight adults without significantly affecting body weight or BMI. The results suggest that HFO-02 may have a lipolytic effect on subcutaneous fat without affecting metabolism. Further randomized controlled trials are needed to confirm the long-term effects and mechanism of action of HFO-02.