Effectiveness of Rice Germ Supplementation on Body Composition, Metabolic Parameters, Satiating Capacity and Amino Acid Profiles in Obese Postmenopausal Women: a Pilot Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial

Rice germ (RG) may be a safe and effective dietary supplement for obesity in menopause, considering its high protein content and considerable amounts of essential amino acids, good fatty acids, and fiber. This pilot randomized, blinded, parallel group, placebo-controlled pilot trial investigated the effectiveness of four weeks of RG supplementation (25 g twice a day) on body composition, measured by Dual Energy X-Ray Absorptiometry (DXA), as primary outcome, and metabolic parameters, amino acid profiles and satiating capacity, as secondary outcomes, in obese postmenopausal women following a tailored hypocaloric diet (25-30% less than daily energy requirements). Twenty-seven women were randomly assigned to the supplemented group (14) or placebo group (13). There was a significant interaction between time and group for body mass index (BMI) (p<0.0001), waist (p=0.002), and hip circumference (p=0.01), total protein (0.008), albumin (0.005), Homeostasis Model Assessment index (p=0.04), glycine (p=0.002), glutamine (p=0.004), and histidine (p=0.007). Haber's means over time showed a clearly greater feeling of satiety for the supplemented compared to the placebo group. These findings indicate that RG supplementation in addition to a tailored diet counterbalanced the metabolic changes typical of menopause, with improvements in BMI, body composition, insulin resistance, amino acid profiles and satiety.