Effect on Weight Loss of an Oral Association of Cinnamon Bark (Cinnamomum Cassia) and Withania Somnifera in Adult Patients With Overweight or Obesity: a Randomized, Prospective, Placebo-controlled, Multicenter, Cross-over, Pilot Study

With the prevalence of obesity soaring and the absence of an effective and safe treatment that is low-cost and always feasible, the use of food supplements has gained attention for the potential benefits in the absence of significant safety concerns. Cinnamon (CC) and Withania somnifera (WS) are plant-based supplements reported to be effective in improving metabolic health and body composition, the first mainly acting on insulin resistance and the second on energy expenditure and leptin resistance, as shown in preclinical and some clinical studies. Their association, possibly synergistic leveraging different mechanisms of action, has never been studied.

This was a double-blind placebo-controlled study. Patients with overweight or obesity were prescribed a mildly hypocaloric diet with CC 300 mg plus WS 150 mg tid for 4 weeks in a cross over design and anthropometric parameters together with safety outcomes were collected.