Preventive and Ameliorating Effects of Food Factors on Obesity-related Diseases by Regulating Inflammation

Japan is currently a super-aging society, and lifestyle-related diseases that increase in incidence with age and the related rise in national medical expenses are major social problems. Preventive medicine and self-medication are becoming more important. Recently, various in vitro and in vivo studies have shown that food-derived natural compounds may contribute to the prevention and treatment of obesity-related diseases, such as diabetes mellitus. This report reviews our previous studies on the usefulness of the citrus flavonoid naringenin for obesity-related diseases. We showed that naringenin exerts an anti-diabetic effect by regulating inflammation pathways involving adipocytes and adipose tissue, and also showed an interaction between naringenin and anti-diabetic drugs. Because natural compounds are generally inexpensive and safe, they have the advantage of being easily applied to clinical applications. However, more detailed studies, such as clinical trials in humans, are required. Further research and scientific evidence will be required for the proper use of food factors in disease prevention and treatment.