June 4/Pharma Investments, Ventures & Law Weekly -- According to a study from Toronto, Canada, "In cohort studies, insoluble fiber has been associated with a reduced risk of obesity and diabetes; however, compared with soluble fiber, its role in the regulation of short-term food intake (FI) and satiety has received little attention. Our aim was to compare the effects of a high-insoluble-fiber (HF) cereal with a low-fiber (LF) cereal on FI, subjective appetite (SA), and plasma glucose (PG) in healthy individuals."

"Males and females (n = 32) were randomly assigned to consume 60g of either HF (26g insoluble fiber, 120 kcal) or LF (1g fiber, 217 kcal) breakfast cereal. Pre- and postlunch SA and PG were measured regularly for 4 hours, and ad libitum FI was measured at 3 hours. The prelunch SA area under the curve did not differ between the two cereals, but when expressed as change in appetite per kilocalorie of cereal, HF suppressed SA more than did LF (-17.6 +/- 1.8 compared with -10.0 +/- 1.1 mm. min. kcal(-1), respectively; P< 0.01). Lunchtime FI did not differ between cereals, but cumulative energy intake (cereal 1 lunch) was lower after the HF than after the LF cereal (1330 +/- 57 compared with 1422 +/- 66 kcal, respectively; P = 0.01).

"The prelunch PG area under the curve (P < 0.0001) and the immediate postlunch PG (P = 0.01) were lower after HF cereal consumption. An HF breakfast cereal contributes to a cumulative reduction in breakfast and lunch energy intake, possibly due to its high satiety value per kilocalorie. A short-term benefit of the HF cereal, compared with LF cereal, was lower PG concentration before and immediately after lunch," wrote A. Hamedani and colleagues, University of Toronto.

Hamedani and colleagues published their study in American Journal of Clinical Nutrition ("Reduced energy intake at breakfast is not compensated for at lunch if a high-insoluble-fiber cereal replaces a low-fiber cereal." American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2009;89(5):1343-1349).

For more information, contact G.H. Anderson, University of Toronto, Dept. of Nutrition Science, Faculty Medical, 150 College St., Toronto, ON M5S 3E2, Canada.

From the June 22, 2009, Prepared Foods E-dition