Effect of Calcium Alginate on the Suppression of Postprandial Elevation of Serum Triglyceride Level in Humans—A Placebo-Controlled, Randomized, Double-Blind, Crossover Study

In this study, the effect of calcium alginate (Ca-Alg) on postprandial serum triglycerides (TG) was examined in healthy adults in a placebo-controlled, randomized, double-blind, crossover study. Eight healthy adults were given a fat-loaded food followed by placebo or 1.5 g (300 mg/capsule×5) of Ca-Alg, and serum TG and remnant-like lipoprotein cholesterol (RLP-C) levels were measured before and at various times (2, 3, 4 and 6 h) after consumption of the fat-loaded food. The results showed that TG and RLP-C levels were significantly lower at all time points in the Ca-Alg intake group compared to the control group, starting 2 h after consumption of the fat-loaded food. The area under the time curve (AUC_0-6h) and the highest level observed (C_max) up to 6 h after the food were also significantly lower in the Ca-Alg intake group than in the control group. Furthermore, biochemical analyses revealed that at 6 h after consumption of the fat-loaded food, ΔCa (change in serum calcium concentration) was significantly increased, whereas ΔNa (change in serum sodium concentration) was significantly decreased in the Ca-Alg intake group compared to the control group. These results indicate that Ca-Alg may have broad applications as a supplement that also contributes to the prevention of lifestyle-related diseases such as hyperlipidemia.