Consuming yellow pea fiber reduces voluntary energy intake and body fat in overweight/obese adults in a 12-week randomized controlled trial

Abstract

The purpose of this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study was to assess the effects of yellow pea fiber intake on body composition and metabolic markers in overweight/obese adults. Participants (9M/41F; age 44±15y, BMI 32.9±5.9kg/m2) received isocaloric doses of placebo (PL) or pea fiber (PF; 15g/d) wafers for 12 weeks. Outcome measures included changes in anthropometrics, body composition (DXA), oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT), food intake (ad libitum lunch buffet), and biochemical indices. The PF group lost 0.87±0.37kg of body weight, primarily due to body fat (-0.74±0.26kg), whereas PL subjects gained 0.40±0.39kg of weight over the 12 weeks (P=0.022). The PF group consumed 16% less energy at the follow-up lunch buffet (P=0.026), whereas the PL group did not change. During the OGTT, glucose area under the curve (AUC) was lower in PF subjects at follow-up (P=0.029); insulin increased in both groups over time (P=0.008), but more so in the PL group (38% higher AUC vs. 10% higher in the PF group). There were no differences in gut microbiota between groups. In the absence of other lifestyle changes, incorporating 15g/day yellow pea fiber may yield small but significant metabolic benefits and aid in obesity management. Clinical Trial Registry: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01719900.