Study subjects
obesity, hypersensitivity, diabetic, medicine abuse
OBESITY, HYPERSENSITIVITY, GASTROINTESTINAL DISEASE
One hundred participants were eligible after screening tests such as questionnaires, physical examinations, and laboratory examinations. They were enrolled within two weeks after providing informed consent and before they were given supplement.Inclusion criteria were as follows: (1) those aged between 19 and 65 years old on screening test; (2) those with a body mass index (BMI) ≤ 34.9 kg/m² but ≥ 23 kg/m², percent body fat (PBF) > 25% for males and PBF > 30% for females; and (3) those who provided written consent after being thoroughly educated about the study’s aims and goals.Exclusion criteria were as follows: (1) subjects with a weight change of 10% or more within 3 months prior to the screening test; (2) those who took supplement of medicines or health functional foods that might affect body weight within 1 month prior to the screening test; (3) subjects who had an obesity surgery within 1 year; (4) those with a clinically acute disease or chronic cardiovascular, endocrine, immune, respiratory, hepatobiliary, kidney, urinary, neuropsychiatric, musculoskeletal, inflammatory, hematological, or gastrointestinal disease; (5) diabetic patients who were treated with oral hypoglycemic agents or insulin on screening tests; (6) those with a history of clinically significant hypersensitivity to seaweed or agar; (7) those who were undergoing fasting therapies; (8) those who were administered with antipsychotics within 3 months prior to the screening test; (9) those with a history of medicine abuse; (10) those who participated in other human tests within three months prior to the screening test; 11) those who had the following diagnostic and medical test results: ☞ aspartate transaminase (AST) or alanine transaminase (ALT) > 3 times the upper limit of the reference range; ☞ serum creatinine > 2.0 mg/dL; 12) those who were pregnant or nursing; 13) subjects within 6 months of childbirth; 14) those who were fertile and not taking contraceptives; and 15) those who were judged by the principal investigator to be inappropriate for participation in this study because of laboratory test results and so on.