Ashitaba Chalcone
When you cut Ashitaba’s leaf or stem, you will see sticky yellow sap. This yellow sap is very precious as only a few milligrams can be collected at once from the cut surface of the stem. Ashitaba polyphenol is concentrated in the yellow sap and its main component is more than 10 types of “Chalcone”.
The two types of polyphenols named Xanthoangelol and 4-Hydroxyderricin are especially rich in yellow sap and the functionality of these yellow sap has received much attention.
Japan Bio Science Lab (JBSL-USA) announce in 2010 that Ashitaba Chalcone has been found as an effective natural tool for visceral and subcutaneous fat issue. Their research and human clinical study have confirmed that Ashitaba Chalcones is effective in reducing belly fat or visceral fat through 8-weeks program.
In the randomised, double-blind, parallel group study, 26 slightly obese male and female participants with BMI between 25 and 30 took 200 mg day of Ashitaba chalcone as an active ingredient after dinner for 8 weeks.
The participants were tested by CT Scan (Total fat area, Visceral fat area, Subcutaneous fat area), weight, waist and hip. The marked reduction in visceral and subcutaneous fat, weight, waist and hip ratio after 8 weeks was observed by researchers. Especially the rate of change in the visceral fat area was greater than the subcutaneous fat area. The fat burning promotion effect and the fat accumulation inhibition effect were greater in the visceral fat.