Weight loss abstract
A composition efficacious in aiding weight loss in humans includes
a weight-reducing dosage of acetate and a copper-depletion-preventing
dosage of copper gluconate. The method of using the composition
includes administering the zinc acetate three times per day and
the copper gluconate, twice per day. In addition, it has been found
that the composition's efficacy is maximized by also imposing a
low-fat dietary regime.
Weight loss claims
What is claimed is:
1. A method for effecting weight reduction in a human comprising
the steps of:
administering 40-60 mg of zinc actetate three times per day;
administering 1-3 mg of copper gluconate twice per day; and
instituting a dietary regime containing dietary fat in range of
5 to 20 grams of fat per day.
Weight loss description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to compositions efficacious in aiding
weight loss and, more particularly, to such compositions for use
by humans.
2. Description of Related Art
In 1992 it was estimated that 50 million Americans would begin
a diet. In a survey sponsored by the U.S. Food and Drug Agency and
the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute of the National Institutes
of Health (1991/1992), 5% of women and 2% of men attempted to lose
weight with the use of diet pills. Those products considered by
the FDA to be over-the-counter weight control drugs are primarily
those containing the active ingredient phenylpropanolamine (PPA).
Although current wisdom has indicated that a persistent course
of exercise and healthy eating habits is the most likely to succeed,
Americans spend an estimated $30 billion a year on diet programs
and products. Among such products, for which there is little or
no evidence of efficacy, are diet patches (now banned by the FDA),
"fat blockers," "starch blockers," "magnet"
diet pills to "flush fat out of the body," glucomannan,
fillers such as fiber-based products, and spirulina (a species of
blue-green algae) (Source: U.S. FDA Brochure, "The Facts about
Weight Loss Products and Programs," 1992).
Horrobin (U.S. Pat. No. 4,393,049) has disclosed the use of .gamma.-linolenic
acid and dihomo-.gamma.-linolenic acid, alone and in combination
with zinc, .beta.-lactam antibiotics, or other materials that influence
prostaglandin imbalance to treat obesity. The zinc is believed to
stimulate the biosynthesis of 1-series prostaglandins.
Keane (U.S. Pat. No. 5,215,750) discloses the use of zinc gluconate
for inclusion with an L-glutamine-based composition for weight loss
or control.
The use of zinc acetate, an anticopper agent, has been utilized
for the treatment of Wilson disease, a relatively rare disorder
resulting in copper toxicity (see, for example, G. J. Brewer and
V. Yuzbasiyan-Gurkan, "Wilson Disease," Medicine 71(3),
139-64, 1992). The recommended dosage is 50 mg three times per day.
In monitoring patients it was found that serum amylase and lipase
levels were mildly elevated during the early months of zinc therapy,
which may be due to an increase in induction of the enzymes.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a
composition and method for aiding weight loss in a human.
This object is achieved by the composition of the present invention,
which comprises a weight-reducing effective amount of zinc acetate.
The method comprises the steps of providing a weight-reducing effective
dosage of zinc acetate and administering the zinc acetate three
times per day.
The features that characterize the invention, both as to organization
and method of operation, together with further objects and advantages
thereof, will be better understood from the following description.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
A description of the preferred embodiments of the present invention
will now be presented.
A preferred embodiment of the composition of the present invention
comprises approximately 40-60 mg, and preferably 50 mg, of zinc
acetate for administering 3 times per day and approximately 1-3
mg, and preferably 2 mg, of copper gluconate for administering twice
per day, for preventing a depletion of copper in the body.
A preferred embodiment of the method of the present invention comprises
the steps of administering approximately 50 mg of zinc acetate three
times per day and administering approximately 2 mg of copper gluconate
twice per day.
In order to maximize the efficacy of the method, preferably the
method further comprises instituting a dietary regime containing
dietary fat in a range of 5 to 20 grams of fat per day.
In an alternate embodiment, the method comprises administering
a composition comprising zinc acetate and copper gluconate three
times per day. Preferably, the dosages for these are in the range
of, respectively, 40-60 mg and 0.7-2 mg; most preferably, approximately
50 mg zinc acetate and 1.3 mg copper gluconate.
It may be appreciated by one skilled in the art that additional
embodiments may be contemplated, including compositions comprising
other salts of zinc and copper and administering the composition
in other dosages and at different intervals.
In the foregoing description, certain terms have been used for
brevity, clarity, and understanding, but no unnecessary limitations
are to be implied therefrom beyond the requirements of the prior
art, because such words are used for description purposes herein
and are intended to be broadly construed. Moreover, the embodiments
of the invention described herein are by way of example, and the
scope of the invention is not limited to the exact details provided.
Having now described the invention, the composition, the use of
preferred embodiments thereof, and the advantageous new and useful
results obtained thereby, the new and useful constructions, and
reasonable equivalents thereof obvious to those skilled in the art,
are set forth in the appended claims. |