KANNAPOLIS – Many people who are obese or overweight may not realize that they are experiencing low-level chronic inflammation. This type of inflammation is a risk factor for chronic diseases such as diabetes and heart disease and can hamper weight loss efforts.

New research from the Appalachian State University (ASU) Human Performance Laboratory at the North Carolina Research Campus recently published in the journal “Nutrients” found that a mix of flavonoids and fish oils reduced inflammation and improved immune function in overweight or obese participants. Flavonoids are found in fruits, vegetables and tea. Research has shown that both flavonoids and fish oils have anti-inflammatory properties.

“We know that weight loss through a healthy diet and exercise is the best strategy for reducing inflammation and improving immune function,” explained Dr. David Nieman, study leader and director of the ASU laboratory. “For people who are struggling with weight loss, this supplement could be added to the lifestyle changes to provide a first-step approach to improving inflammation and viral defense.”

The study included 48 overweight and obese females aged 40 to 70 years, assigned either to a placebo group or the flavonoid-fish oil supplement group. Each participant was instructed to take two soft-chew supplements twice daily for 70 days: one first thing in the morning and another around dinnertime. The study participants provided blood samples at 0 and 10 weeks after fasting overnight.

Based on the findings, there was a significant difference between the placebo group and the supplement group after 70 days of consuming the flavonoid and fish oil mix. Significant elevation of plasma quercetin, EPA, DHA and DPA, as well as an upregulation of gene pathways related to antiviral mechanisms and reduction in inflammation all occurred in the group receiving the flavonoid-fish oil mix.

These findings build off of a 2011 study from Nieman’s lab that observed the effects of the same supplement on athletes. The athletic participants who received the supplement showed reduced inflammation and oxidative stress after three days of intense exercise compared to a control group.

“Nutritional interventions that work to counter acute, post-exercise inflammation in athletes have the potential, as confirmed in this study, to thwart the chronic, low-level inflammation experienced by individuals who weigh more than they should for optimal health,” Nieman said.