Abstract
Dietary constituents that suppress appetite, such as dietary fibre and protein, may aid weight loss in obesity. The soluble fermentable dietary fibre pectin promotes satiety and decreases adiposity in diet-induced obese rats but effects of increased protein are unknown. Adult diet-induced obese rats reared on high fat diet (45% energy from fat) were given experimental diets ad libitum for 4 weeks (n = 8/group): high fat control, high fat with high protein (40% energy) as casein or pea protein, or these diets with added 10% w/w pectin. Dietary pectin, but not high protein, decreased food intake by 23% and induced 23% body fat loss, leading to 12% lower final body weight and 44% lower total body fat mass than controls. Plasma concentrations of satiety hormones PYY and total GLP-1 were increased by dietary pectin (168% and 151%, respectively) but not by high protein. Plasma leptin was decreased by 62% on pectin diets and 38% on high pea (but not casein) protein, while plasma insulin was decreased by 44% on pectin, 38% on high pea and 18% on high casein protein diets. Caecal weight and short-chain fatty acid concentrations in the caecum were increased in pectin-fed and high pea protein groups: caecal succinate was increased by pectin (900%), acetate and propionate by pectin (123% and 118%, respectively) and pea protein (147% and 144%, respectively), and butyrate only by pea protein (309%). Caecal branched-chain fatty acid concentrations were decreased by pectin (down 78%) but increased by pea protein (164%). Therefore, the soluble fermentable fibre pectin appeared more effective than high protein for increasing satiety and decreasing caloric intake and adiposity while on high fat diet, and produced a fermentation environment more likely to promote hindgut health. Altogether these data indicate that high fibre may be better than high protein for weight (fat) loss in obesity.
Highlights
Dietary constituents that are able to enhance satiety and promote weight loss provide an attractive proposition for obesity management
During the 4-week dietary intervention, body weight gain was lower in rats on the three pectincontaining (+P) diets compared with rats on high fat diet (HF) control diet or HF with high casein (HFHC) or high pea protein alone (HFHP) (P < 0.001; Fig 1A)
Overall body weight gain and fat mass gain were decreased by supplementary pectin and by high protein, with significant pectin x protein interaction since the effects of pectin were greater with HF with high casein protein (HFHC) than HF with high pea protein (HFHP) diet (Table 2)
Summary
Dietary constituents that are able to enhance satiety and promote weight loss provide an attractive proposition for obesity management. The two macronutrients most commonly associated with increased satiety are dietary fibre and protein, yet there is a lack of publications comparing and defining their efficacy in obese subjects. These biological responses are most usefully and accurately determined in the controlled circumstances of laboratory animal models before advising human dietary intervention trials. We have recently demonstrated how addition of the soluble fermentable dietary fibre pectin to a high fat diet increases satiety, decreases caloric intake and leads to weight (body fat) loss in diet-induced obese (DIO) rats [1]. The increased intake of dietary fibre in these rodent models is associated with increased secretion of gut satiety hormones, notably PYY and GLP-1 [1, 3, 7, 8]
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