Los Angeles, CA—Optipure, based here, has released data on a new ingredient intended to target visceral fat. Visceral fat is stored near the body’s organs and when too much exists, one is at increased risk of heart disease, diabetes and other health problems.

At SupplySide West, the company said it has developed an anti-angiogenic herbal ingredient that targets adipose tissue (Viscerol Al). According to the company, “It inhibits the formation of new blood vessels, which are necessary for the addition of visceral fat cells. Because Viscerol Al only targets blood vessels that are formed to service the growth of entirely new cells, something that rarely occurs in normal conditions, it is shown to have no adverse reactions on normal angiogenesis.”

The company also announced the results of preliminary human studies in which 16 women given the ingredient (1.5 g) for four months had slimmer waistlines and a reduced waist–hip ratio with no changes in diet or exercise. Another 25-person trial showed that subjects taking the ingredient (1.5 g) had less lower-abdominal fat (per CT analysis) and improved HDL-LDL cholesterol ratios. Last, a third study indicated a 20% reduction in visceral fat after taking the ingredient (900 mg) for 12 weeks, slightly reducing calorie intake and engaging in moderate exercise.

Published in WholeFoods Magazine, January 2010