Litesse Soluble Fiber Suppresses Appetite, New Meta-Analyses Show

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Dupont Nutrition & Health (Kantvik, Finland) is highlighting two meta-analyses confirming the appetite-suppressing effects of Litesse, the company’s specialty polydextrose ingredient that acts as a soluble fiber and prebiotic.

The first meta-analysis¹, published in journal Appetite, looked at six studies (120 subjects total) examining how consuming Litesse as part of a mid-morning snack affected how many calories subjects consumed at the next meal, lunch. The researchers stated that, “to date, there is no other such review which systematically gathers all the disparate evidence on this topic. Therefore, the aim of this review and meta-analysis is to investigate the effects of polydextrose on subsequent levels of energy intake.”

Researchers found that subjects consuming Litesse at mid-morning consumed fewer calories during lunch. “Taking into account the results of all included studies, polydextrose reduces the energy intake at a subsequent ad libitum meal at lunch time by 12.5%.” Furthermore, they noted, “there is a dose-dependent effect on the reduction of daily [calorie intake].” Moreover, subjects did not overcompensate for the lower caloric intake by eating more calories during other parts of the day. The polydextrose doses in the studies ranged from 6.25 g–25.0 g.

The researchers stated, “The studies included in this meta-analysis support the notion that the consumption of polydextrose reduces voluntary energy intake at a subsequent meal. Furthermore, this reduction in energy intake occurs in a dose-dependent manner.”

The second meta-analysis², published in the journal Nutrients, looked at subjects’ subjective feelings about their hunger. The researchers used new methodology, developed by Dupont’s scientists, to compare the Visual Analogue Scale results of seven studies in which subjects subjectively reported their feelings of hunger, satisfaction, fullness, desire to eat, etc. They developed this new tool because results of these visual analogue scale measurements can vary broadly, “making it difficult to compare results amongst independent studies testing the same product.”

Using their method, the researchers determined: “This case study demonstrates, for the first time, that polydextrose reduces the desire to eat during the satiation period” and that “this may explain, at least in part, the observed effects of polydextrose on the reduction of levels of energy intake at subsequent meals.”

The results of these meta-analyses show “that Litesse is able to reduce the desire to eat immediately after a meal which includes Litesse. There is also a trend towards reduced hunger and increased satisfaction between meals after the consumption of Litesse,” stated Alvin Ibarra, PhD, senior scientist who participated in these meta-analyses, in a company press release announcing the results. “This means that Litesse represents a very exciting opportunity for our customers who wish to develop their weight-management products with satiety-enhancing and appetite-reduction qualities.”

Researchers from DuPont participated in both studies.

Also read:

Dietary Supplements, Weight Management, and Satiety: Full of Promise

Managing Weight: Boosting Satiety

Jennifer Grebow
Editor-in-Chief
Nutritional Outlook magazine
jennifer.grebow@ubm.com

References:

1. Ibarra A et al., “Effects of polydextrose on different levels of energy intake: A systematic review and meta-analysis,” Appetite, vol. 87 (April 1, 2015): 30-37
2. Ibarra A et al., Effect of polydextrose on subjective feelings of appetite during the satiation and satiety periods. A systematic review and meta-analysis,” Nutrients, vol. 8, no. 1. Published online January 14, 2016.