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LONDON, July 1 (Xinhua) -- A food supplement, based on a molecule produced by bacteria in the gut, has been shown to reduce cravings for high-calorie foods, according to a study released Friday by Imperial College London.
Previous studies have shown bacteria in the gut release a compound called propionate when they digest the fibre inulin, which can signal to the brain to reduce appetite. However the inulin-propionate ester supplement releases much more propionate in the intestines than inulin alone.
To gauge the effect of the supplement, researchers from Imperial College London and the University of Glasgow asked 20 volunteers to consume a milkshake that either contained inulin-propionate ester or inulin.
After drinking the milkshakes, the participants in the current study underwent an MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) scan, where they were shown pictures of various low or high calorie foods such as salad, fish, cake and pizza.
The team found that when volunteers drank the milkshake containing inulin-propionate ester, they had less activity in brain areas, called the caudate and the nucleus accumbens, which have previously been linked to food cravings, according to the study.
The volunteers also had to rate how appealing they found the foods. The results showed that when they drank the milkshake with the inulin-propionate ester supplement, they rated the high calorie foods as less appealing, said researchers.
In the second part of the study, the volunteers were given a bowl of pasta with tomato sauce, and asked to eat as much as they like. When participants drank the inulin-propionate ester, they ate 10 percent less pasta than when they drank the milkshake that contained inulin alone.
"The amount of inulin-propionate ester used in this study was 10 grams -- which previous studies show increases propionate production by 2.5 times. To get the same increase from fiber alone, we would need to eat around 60 grams a day. At the moment, the UK average is 15 grams," said Professor Gary Frost from Imperial College London, one of the authors of the report.
In that case, eating enough fiber to naturally produce similar amounts of propionate would be difficult, said Frost.
The study has been published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Enditem
