A new study conducted by US researchers revealed that having at least one glass of low sodium vegetable juice on a daily basis can help the overweight people with metabolic syndrome shed weight.

Metabolic syndrome is characterized by a group of metabolic risk factors in one person. The factors include excess body fat in the midsection, hypertension, high levels of blood sugar and irregular blood lipids.

It can raise risk for chronic diseases if left uncontrolled.

Study author John Foreyt of the Baylor College of Medicine said that 81 participants in the study were primarily African-American and Hispanic adults, populations that normally have a higher metabolic syndrome occurrence.

Every group followed a Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet, which stresses consuming lean meat, lower fat dairy, whole grains, vegetables and fruit daily, and keeping saturated fat, total fat, cholesterol and sodium in check.

Participants under two groups were given Low Sodium V8 100% vegetable juice and asked to take one or two cups on a daily basis for 12 weeks.

However, the researchers do not any vegetable juice to the participants in the third group.

The study researchers discovered that participants who had at least 8 ounces of low-sodium vegetable juice as part of a calorie-controlled DASH diet shed four pounds in 12 weeks, whereas those who had the similar diet but drank no juice lost less than half a kg.

The results of the study were presented at Experimental Biology meeting in New Orleans.