Tate & Lyle’s soluble corn fiber improved focus in healthy adults, study finds

New research, partly funded by ingredient supplier Tate & Lyle, reveals that daily soluble corn fiber significantly improves cognition and focus in healthy middle-aged and older adults, while also boosting gut bacteria that may support brain function. 

Tate & Lyle’s Promitor Soluble Fiber was used in the randomized placebo-controlled crossover trial.

Scientists working on the trial from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, US, found that soluble corn fiber consumption led to selectively improved response times during tests compared with the control.

“Soluble fiber is well known for supporting gut and overall physical health, but we are still learning how specific fibers might influence the brain,” says Dr. David Alvarado, lead study researcher at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

“In our study, consuming soluble corn fiber significantly improved how quickly participants responded during tests of attention and inhibitory control, without sacrificing accuracy. We also saw consistent shifts in the gut microbiota, including increases in Parabacteroides distasonis, a microbe that is well suited to break down this fiber.”

“The extent of the cognitive improvement varied with the magnitude of change in Parabacteroides. These findings point to a gut microbiome signal that may partly help explain how soluble corn fiber supports aspects of brain-related performance.” 

Study parameters

The study, published in The Journal of Nutrition, specifically evaluated the effects of soluble corn fiber on cognitive performance, gut microbiota composition, and the substances those bacteria produce, with the aim of identifying changes in the gut environment that affect cognitive function.

Over a four-week period, 42 participants consumed soluble corn fiber daily and completed cognitive tests to measure their memory and attentional ability.

Four weeks of consuming soluble corn fiber led to measurable improvements in cognition and focus, which was linked to the growth of beneficial gut bacteria.The participants’ diet increased the abundance of P. distasonis. According to the researchers, Parabacteroides are bacteria linked to possible anti-inflammatory effects, gut barrier protection, and gut-derived compounds relevant to gut-brain communication and health outcomes.

Fibermaxxing

Documented findings of fiber benefits beyond the gut have been expanding. One study from February this year attributed the lack of fiber in a diet high in processed foods as a main cause of a decline in gut-derived butyrate metabolites, which may lead to brain inflammation.

Dr. Clare Leonard, VP of Nutrition and Health Sciences at Tate & Lyle, believes fiber is “one of the greatest underutilized resources in our diets.”

“There is so much potential for better health outcomes through targeted feeding of the gut microbiota.”

“We are seeing studies linking the gut-heart axis, gut-brain axis, and so much more,” she underscores. “What’s so wonderful is that the solution isn’t an exclusive or expensive supplement but an affordable ingredient that consumers and the industry can easily build into everyday diets: soluble corn fiber. Increasing intakes could be a major unlock for public health.” 

The release of these findings is timely, as consumer interest in fibers and prebiotics in food and beverages has been growing — giving rise to a trend also known as “fibermaxxing.”

“Our market insights show strong demand for benefits like focus and stress support, but also a disconnect: people are seeking these outcomes while the industry is still in the early stages of clearly explaining how fiber, prebiotics, and probiotics really work,” says Abigail Storms, VP Sweeteners and Fibers at Tate & Lyle.

“With fiber intakes globally well below recommended levels, connecting this kind of science to consumer-friendly benefits is an important step toward motivating the higher fiber consumption we know is needed.”

In recent fiber-forward launches, Momentous unveiled Fiber+, a triple-action fiber supplement designed to go beyond digestion and to support gut health, metabolic balance, and a whole-body recovery. The company leverages the latest science on fermentable fibers, resistant starch, and the production of short-chain fatty acids.