CALGARY, Canada—–Independent of other lifestyle changes, oligofructose supplementation, a prebiotic fiber, 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 concentrations 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.