Study: Medical Food and Omega-3 May Further Improve Mediterranean Diet

Metagenics Inc. (San Clemente, CA) has announced that it contributed two posters at the National Lipid Association’s annual scientific session held in New York in May.

The first poster centered on work done through the company’s FirstLine Therapy program, a lifestyle medicine program focusing on lifestyle medicine solutions for weight reduction and disease reduction.

Metagenics says the program typically includes a Mediterranean-style diet, exercise, stress reduction, and the medical food UltraMeal PLUS 360. UltraMeal PLUS 360 is a formula containing phytosterols, soy protein, and hops (Humulus lupulus) and acacia extracts.

According to a published study, the medical food has demonstrated greater cholesterol-reducing potential with a Mediterranean diet than a Mediterranean diet alone. Significant improvements in body weight, body mass index, percent of lean body mass and fat mass, and various cholesterol levels have been reported with the FirstLine Therapy program.

The second poster related to supplementing fish oil omega-3 into a Mediterranean diet in patients with metabolic syndrome. Addition of the omega-3 is reported to have led to “increases in the omega-3 index to cardioprotective levels.”