Chicory Root Fiber in the Fight Against Obesity

The encouraging results from this study hold out the exciting prospect for oligofructose to be used as a sugar and fat substitute in the prevention and treatment of obesity, one of the greatest public health challenges of the 21st century.

Oct 4 2011 --- A recent article in the British Journal of Nutrition* shows that oligofructose (a carbohydrate-based dietary fiber extracted from chicory roots) has a significant influence on a person’s food and energy intake. This was made clear in a study involving 31 healthy volunteers with a BMI of around 25. The encouraging results from this study hold out the exciting prospect for oligofructose to be used as a sugar and fat substitute in the prevention and treatment of obesity, one of the greatest public health challenges of the 21st century.

The research was carried out by scientists at the University of Maastricht, and was financed by Sensus, a leading producer of chicory-based inulin and oligofructose. Over a period of 13 days, the volunteers received either a placebo or a dose of oligofructose (either 5 grams or 8 grams twice daily). Their food intake was measured at the beginning and end of the trial period. After 13 days, the energy consumption of those taking the higher dose of oligofructose had decreased by 10%. Moreover, higher concentrations of the satiety hormones PYY and GLP-I were measured in the blood, while feelings of hunger and satiety remained the same.

Oligofructose can be extracted from chicory roots on an industrial scale. Because it cannot be broken down by digestive enzymes, it has the same impact in the bowel as dietary fiber. Due to its low caloric value it is ideal as a fat and sugar substitute in all kinds of food products. Use of this ingredient allows legitimate nutritional claims such as ‘reduced fat,’ ‘no sugar,’ or ‘high in fiber.’

* Verhoef, Meyer and Westerterp (2011), ‘Effects of oligofructose on appetite profile, glucagon-like
peptide 1 and peptide YY3-36 concentrations and energy intake,’ Br. J. Nutr. DOI: 10.1017/S0007114511002.