薬理と治療

Abstract

Background　Overeating is a common problem for humans in modern life. One option to decrease food intake is to consume plant-derived polyphenols during meals. Because studies have observed impaired digestion and absorption in farm animals fed sorghum, sorghum tea, containing rich polyphenols, may be suitable for this purpose at meals. We performed a randomized controlled trial to explore the utility of sorghum tea in lowering postprandial plasma triglyceride levels. Methods In a crossover manner, 22 participants were provided sorghum tea, water, or oolong tea while eating their breakfast soup. Plasma triglyceride levels were measured every hour at 0-6 h after the meal. Mean triglyceride levels in the sorghum tea group were compared with those in the water and oolong tea groups. Results　Mean triglyceride levels among the sorghum tea, water, and oolong tea groups were 75.9 mg╱dL, 70.6 mg╱dL, and 80.1 mg╱dL at 4 h, respectively, and 66.8 mg╱dL, 58.8 mg╱dL, and 58.0 mg╱dL at 6 h after breakfast, respectively. No statistically significant difference in triglyceride levels was observed between drinking sorghum tea and water╱oolong tea at meals. Conclusions　Sorghum contains rich polyphenols that prevent triglyceride digestion and absorption in the small intestine; thus, its utility as another functional food to help reduce weight should be further investigated.