High dose royal jelly may support weight management
Overall, no significant effect on anthropometric measures were observed following the consumption of lower dosages of the supplement.
The report states: “To the best of our knowledge, our study was the first systematic review and meta-analysis investigated the effect of royal jelly on anthropometric indices.”
“Based on subgroup analysis, our results revealed a significant reduction in BW and BMI following royal jelly intake in subgroup of royal jelly dosage <3,000 mg/day. Future RCTs with larger sample sizes, different BMI ranges, and longer duration of supplementation are warranted to confirm and enhance the precision of our findings.”
Obesity prevalence
Obesity is a widely prevalent epidemic of the modern world, with rates ever-increasing over recent years. The complex disease can increase the risk of developing a range of conditions, including type 2 diabetes (T2DM), cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), and certain types of cancers.
Thus, there has been a huge focus on preventative and weight management intervention strategies, with recent studies focusing on the potential of natural substances alongside lifestyle interventions.
One such substance that has been investigated for its efficacy is royal jelly, produced by young worker bees, which contains an array of vitamins, minerals, lipids, and proteins. It has also been noted to contain 10-HDA; a bioactive substance which has been linked to reduced oxidative stress and inflammation levels.
Following the widespread use of royal jelly supplementation for an array of conditions, it has been proposed as a potentially effective intervention for body-weight management due to its additional regulation of dyslipidaemia and insulin resistance.
With conflicting available evidence on its effect on anthropometric indices, the present meta-analysis and systematic review sought to investigate the available RCTs to evaluate the effect of royal jell supplementation.
Review findings
The researchers searched various databases, including Embase, PubMed, Web of Science and Scopus, to collate available evidence from RCTs. Ten studies including 512 participants were included.
Supplementation dosages ranged from 500 to 6000 mg/day within the included studies, whilst intervention durations varied between 4 and 18 weeks. The results were analysed using the random-effects model.
Whilst no overall effect of royal jelly supplement was found for BW, BMI, and FM, a reduction in BW and BMI was found in a subgroup where dosages exceeded 3,000 mg/day.
Explained
The findings suggest that a lack of effect of royal jelly supplementation on anthropometric indices, except for at dosages over 3,000 mg/day.
Hypothesising the potential mechanisms behind the effect, the researchers explain: “Royal jelly supplementation increases peroxisome proliferator-activated-alpha (PPAR-a) expression, enhancing lipolysis and contributing to a decrease in body weight. Moreover, royal jelly declines adiposity, induces beige phenotype in white adipose tissue, and activates brown adipose tissue thermogenic program.”
They add: “Enhanced oxygen metabolism, respiration, and oxidative phosphorylation may be responsible for the favourable effects of royal jelly.”
Yet, the researchers note that the significant between-study heterogeneity of the trials included, with regards to royal jelly supplement quality, and urge for further research to confirm the findings.
Source: Frontiers In Nutrition
https://doi.org/10.3389/fnut.2023.1196258
“The effects of royal jelly supplementation on anthropometric indices: a GRADE-assessed systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials”
Mahdi Vajdi, Vali Musazadeh, Mahsa Khajeh, Ehsan Safaei, Melika Darzi, Nooshin Noshadi, Hadi Bazyar, Gholamreza Askari
