Metagenics’ UltraMeal Could Take a Bite Out of Healthcare Costs
The rising incidence of heart disease and diabetes has increased the taste for the Mediterranean diet and over the years, many studies have affirmed that this diet’s food-specific approach is indeed healthy. As more attention is paid to the connection between food and good health, a new clinical trial focused on UltraMeal Plus 360°, a medical food created by Metagenics Inc. of San Clemente, CA, has yielded exciting results related to the product’s effect on metabolic syndrome, a cluster of conditions that increase an individual’s risk for developing heart disease, diabetes, and other chronic illnesses.
The clinical trial, which was sponsored by Metagenics and conducted at three universities, including the University of Connecticut-Storrs, the University of Florida, Jacksonville, and the University of California, Irvine, consisted of 89 women between the ages of 20 and 75. To be eligible for the study, the women had to have a LDL-C of more than 2.59 mmol/L (100 mg/dL), TG equal to or greater than 1.70 mmol/L (150 mg/dL), and meet two of the four remaining criteria for metabolic syndrome. The requirements were based on standards set forth in the National Cholesterol Education Program Expert Panel on Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Cholesterol in Adults—Adult Treatment Panel III (NCEP-ATPIII) criteria. Participants with heart, liver or kidney disease or who were using blood sugar or cholesterol-lowering agents were excluded. Those with type II diabetes were not excluded.
