In that obese individuals are more likely to have either lower blood concentrations or lower bioavailability of minerals and/or vitamins, C.H.  Sun, from Harbin Medical University (China), and colleagues investigated the effects of multivitamin/mineral supplementation on fat  mass, energy expenditure, and lipid profiles.   The team enrolled 96 obese Chinese women (body mass index [BMI] of 28 kg/m2), ages 18n to 55 years, for a 26-week long study.  The subjects were randomized into three groups, receiving either one tablet of multivitamin/mineral supplement, calcium (162 mg), or placebo, daily.  At the end of the study period, the researchers found that the women who took the multivitamin/ mineral supplement had significantly lower body weight, body mass index, fat mass, total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol, while also demonstrating higher resting energy expenditure and HDL cholesterol.  Respiratory quotient and waist circumference also beneficially improved. The researchers conclude that:  “The results suggest that, in obese individuals, multivitamin and mineral supplementation could reduce body weight and fatness and improve serum lipid profiles, possibly through increased energy expenditure and fat oxidation.”