Abstract
Context
Sustained hyperglycemia triggers chronic disease, including type 2 diabetes. A considerable volume of research has explored the effects of brown seaweed on plasma glucose control, but equivocal findings have been reported.
Objective
A systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted to assess the evidence from human randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on the effects of brown seaweed on plasma glucose in healthy, at-risk, and individuals with type 2 diabetes.
Data Sources
MEDLINE/PubMed, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library were searched for reports published between 2000 and 2020.
Data Extraction
Population, intervention, comparator, outcome, and study design data were extracted.
Data Analysis
Eighteen RCTs met our inclusion criteria. The reported results varied across and between populations. Meta-analyses showed a significant effect, favoring the intervention group for both fasting (mean difference –4.6 [95% CI –7.88, –1.33]) and postprandial (mean difference –7.1 [95% CI –7.4, –6.9]) plasma glucose.
Conclusion
Brown seaweed and its extracts show potential for preventing and managing hyperglycemia. Our meta-analysis confirms that brown seaweed positively affects plasma glucose homeostasis, with particularly promising postprandial plasma glucose effects. However, further research is needed because no high-quality RCT was identified. Species-specific and dose–response research is also required.
Sustained hyperglycemia triggers chronic disease, including type 2 diabetes. A considerable volume of research has explored the effects of brown seaweed on plasma glucose control, but equivocal findings have been reported.
Objective
A systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted to assess the evidence from human randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on the effects of brown seaweed on plasma glucose in healthy, at-risk, and individuals with type 2 diabetes.
Data Sources
MEDLINE/PubMed, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library were searched for reports published between 2000 and 2020.
Data Extraction
Population, intervention, comparator, outcome, and study design data were extracted.
Data Analysis
Eighteen RCTs met our inclusion criteria. The reported results varied across and between populations. Meta-analyses showed a significant effect, favoring the intervention group for both fasting (mean difference –4.6 [95% CI –7.88, –1.33]) and postprandial (mean difference –7.1 [95% CI –7.4, –6.9]) plasma glucose.
Conclusion
Brown seaweed and its extracts show potential for preventing and managing hyperglycemia. Our meta-analysis confirms that brown seaweed positively affects plasma glucose homeostasis, with particularly promising postprandial plasma glucose effects. However, further research is needed because no high-quality RCT was identified. Species-specific and dose–response research is also required.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Article number | nuab069 |
| Pages (from-to) | 1194–1205 |
| Number of pages | 12 |
| Journal | Nutrition Reviews |
| Volume | 80 |
| Issue number | 5 |
| Early online date | 21 Sept 2021 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 1 May 2022 |
Bibliographical note
AcknowledgmentsAuthor contributions. All authors (K.V., V.R., D.C., and M.A.-M.) formulated and designed the analysis and contributed to data analysis. K.V. and M.A.-M. searched for and extracted data and evaluated the quality of the evidence. All authors contributed to and revised the submitted version of the paper.
Funding. We are grateful to the Scottish Government’s Rural and Environment Science and Analytical Services (RESAS) for supporting this work and that of the University of Aberdeen.
Access to Document
- Vaughan_etal_NR_Effect_Of_Brown_VoR
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