Standardized Hibiscus-Inulin Shot Lowers Lipid-Glucose Indices in Adults with Overweight and Obesity: 8-Week Randomized Trial.

Background: Few trials have evaluated liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS)-standardized ready-to-drink formulations, and short-term responses of composite lipid-glucose indices under controlled intake remain unquantified. This study assessed 8-week changes in Atherogenic and triglyceride-glucose indices (AIP and TyG) after the consumption of a Hibiscus-inulin (HIB-INU) beverage and tested whether baseline risk modified these effects. Methods: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial was conducted in adults aged 18-50 years with BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2 (n = 100: 50 per group) who consumed a daily 60 mL Hibiscus-inulin shot or sensory-matched placebo for 8 weeks. The Hibiscus-inulin shot was LC-MS-standardized to ensure reproducible exposure; co-primary outcomes were AIP and TyG (pre-specified as exploratory), and secondary outcomes were mean arterial pressure (MAP) and pulse pressure (PP). ANCOVA adjusted for baseline, age, and sex was used to estimate between-group differences and to test for interactions by baseline risk. Results: Adjusted 8-week differences versus placebo were -0.09 for AIP (95% CI -0.15 to -0.03; p = 0.004) and -0.14 for TyG (-0.26 to -0.03; p = 0.020). MAP and PP showed no significant differences between the groups (p > 0.05). Effects were larger in high-risk baseline strata. Conclusions: A standardized hibiscus-inulin shot produced short-term improvements in composite lipid-glucose indices without hemodynamic change. Because minimal clinically important differences for AIP/TyG have not been established for short durations, these findings reflect analytical responsiveness rather than clinical benefits, supporting their exploratory use in short-term nutrition trials and cardiometabolic monitoring.