Prebiotic Fiber Promotes Weight Loss

has the potential to promote weight loss and improve glucose regulation in overweight adults, according to a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (2009; DOI:10.3945/ajcn.2009.27465). The randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled trial randomly assigned 48 otherwise healthy adults with a body mass index (in kg/m2) greater than 25 to receive 21 g/d of oligofructose or a placebo (maltodextrin) for 12 weeks.

There was a reduction in body weight of 1.03 ± 0.43 kg with oligofructose supplementation, whereas the control group experienced an increase in body weight of 0.45 ± 0.31 kg over 12 weeks. A lower area under the curve (AUC) for ghrelin and a higher AUC for peptide YY (PYY) with oligofructose coincided with a reduction in self-reported caloric intake. Glucose decreased in the oligofructose group and increased in the control group between initial and final tests. Insulin concentration–Independent of other lifestyle changes, oligofructose supplementation, a prebiotic fiber, s mirrored this pattern. Oligofructose supplementation did not affect plasma active glucagon-like peptide 1 secretion. According to a visual analog scale designed to assess side effects, oligofructose was well tolerated. Suppressed ghrelin and enhanced PYY may contribute in part to the reduction in energy intake.