Effects of tocotrienol-enriched oat supplementation on metabolic profile, nutritional status and health-related quality of life among patients with metabolic syndrome

Background: Tocotrienol has garnered significant attention due to its potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects in ameliorating cardiovascular-related comorbidities. The present study aimed to elucidate the effects of tocotrienol-enriched oat supplementation on individuals with metabolic syndrome (MetS). Method: This was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled human clinical trial. Patients with MetS were randomized to the tocotrienol-enriched oat (TO), oat (O) or control (C) groups. Both TO and O groups were supplemented twice daily for 12 weeks, while group C did not receive any intervention. Changes in the metabolic profile of individuals were considered as the primary endpoint. The secondary endpoints included the morphological assessment of nutritional and anthropometric parameters and health-related quality of life. Other measurements included compliance and tolerability to the study regime. Results: The rate of MetS remission in the TO and O groups was approximately twice than that in the control group (37.0% vs. 18.5%). After 12 weeks, the TO group showed significant improvements in the fasting blood glucose (-4.5%), blood pressure (systolic: -4.2%; diastolic: -5.3%), high density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C) (+34.1%), and triglyceride (-7.1%) (p < 0.05) levels. Group TO demonstrated an increase in muscle mass (+0.301 kg, p < 0.05) and reduced body fat (-0.775%, p < 0.05). Both the TO and O groups showed improvements in the overall HR-QoL, and the visual analogue scale (VAS) score. Conclusion: Twelve weeks of tocotrienol-enriched oat supplementation improved surrogate endpoints associated with MetS. This complementary dietary management approach may be more effective at alleviating MetS symptoms than the pharmacological approach alone and could be a safe dietary strategy for secondary prevention.