BENEO-Orafti reinforces commitment to help reduce world obesity
BENEO-Orafti, well-known for its ability to develop products that promote nutrition and health, has demonstrated the company’s commitment to promoting nutritional scientific findings by playing host to leading international weight management experts and scientists at its highly successful European Scientific Symposium.
Chaired by respected weight management experts Professor Arne Astrup (
Obesity and weight management
The scene was set by Professor Arne Astrup, from the
Although there is no panacea against obesity, successful interventions were discussed that included energy-restricted diets, trials that reduced the energy density of the diet (e.g. by cutting the fat content) and interventions that combined diet and physical activity. Work from Professor Astrup’s own department suggested that high protein foods and meals with a low glycaemic index (GI) were useful for weight management because they helped induce satiety.
Carbohydrates, appetite regulation and the metabolic response
The topics of appetite, satiation and satiety were introduced by Professor John Blundell from the
Professor Henry concluded by stating that the concept of GI is a real, observable phenomenon. As low GI foods also stimulate satiety, these are likely to be useful for weight management as well as for safeguarding metabolic health. He concluded his discussion by stating that in his view “the inclusion of novel and new food ingredients in foods to reduce their GI will emerge as a growing market”.
Effects of oligofructose on weight management and health
Part of the symposium also focused on low or non digestible carbohydrates and in particular the role of dietary prebiotics in weight management and health. It was hypothesised that altering the high fat intake, low levels of fibre and little physical activity that characterise an obesogenic lifestyle, by influencing fibre levels and gut health, could allow to realise a benefit.
Early work on animal models has revealed promising findings. A study in mice compared different high fat diets, some with fibre or oligofructose added. Interestingly, the high fat diet alone suppressed levels of bifidobacteria and bacteroides in the animal gut. When oligofructose was added to this diet, bacterial levels returned to normal. A similar effect was not seen with cellulose suggesting that fermentation was more important than just fibre. The study suggests that oligofructose ameliorates the negative effect of the high fat diet on the gut microbiota.
Controlled Studies
Professor Nathalie Delzenne (Université Catholique de Louvain,
A recent rat study highlighted that through the supplementation of oligofructose, levels of the appetite suppressing hormones GLP-1 and PYY were increased whilst levels of the appetite enhancer, ghrelin, were reduced. These metabolic effects translate into reductions in energy intake. Rats fed high fat diets clearly demonstrated suppression of hyperphagia when oligofructose was added to the diet. This resulted in a slower weight gain. (See Appendix 1)
A similar effect has been seen in humans. Reported satiety at breakfast and at dinner was significantly higher during a study when subjects received oligofructose compared to the control diet. Energy intake was reduced by around 5%. Further research is needed to examine the longer term impact of oligofructose supplementation, especially in obese subjects or those with diabetes or dyslipidaemia who may receive a particular benefit.
Professor Rob Welch (from the Northern Ireland Centre for Food and Health at the University of Ulster, Coleraine, United Kingdom) went on to describe four human studies that had examined the satiating properties of non-digestible carbohydrates, of which oligofructose is a key example. Studies showed that through the supplementation of oligofructose the satiety hormone GLP-1 was stimulated to help reduce energy intake. (See Appendix 2)
In conclusion
Tim Van der Schraelen from BENEO-Orafti comments: “From the evidence presented at the 1st BENEO Scientific Symposium this year in
“A good research base has now been established to quantify the impact of functional carbohydrates, in particular oligofructose-enriched inulin (Orafti®Synergy1) on satiety, appetite control and metabolic function. We are committed to carrying further research in this area and will continue to offer platforms in the future so that the scientific community can discuss and demonstrate the various uses of these functional carbohydrates in healthy weight managing diets”.
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Note to editors:
BENEO-Orafti
BENEO-Orafti is part of the BENEO-Group, a division of the Südzucker Group, that specialises in functional ingredients and BENEO-Orafti is world leader in the production and sales of food ingredients derived from chicory. The company's Orafti® inulin and oligofructose products and especially the unique Orafti®Synergy1 have been scientifically proven to improve the balance of the body’s intestinal flora by stimulating our own beneficial bifidobacteria, also helping the body to absorb more essential nutrients, such as calcium, from our own diet.
Orafti® ingredients can be the basis for well-balanced food products that improve digestive health and the feeling of wellbeing. With a head office in
Appendix 1
Professor Nathalie Delzenne expanded on the theme of food intake regulation and energy balance with examples from animal and human research. Fermentation, and thus prebiotics, are intricately involved with lipid metabolism, insulin sensitivity and glucose metabolism due to the widespread effects of short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) which are released during the fermentation process.
A new twist to this hypothesis is how SCFA also appear to stimulate the activity of the satiety peptide, GLP-1, which is released in the gut. Three prebiotic-supplemented diets were fed to Wistar rats for three weeks. Compared with the control diet, the oligofructose diet significantly increased the levels of GLP-1 and PYY (another appetite-suppressing hormone), while levels of an appetite enhancer, ghrelin, were reduced. In the colon, levels of butyrate, a SCFA, were seen to rise. The mechanism for the rise in GLP-1 can be explained by histological research showing that oligofructose feeding in rats promotes the multiplication of gut endocrine cells capable of producing GLP-1. These metabolic effects translate into reductions in energy intake. Rats fed high fat diets clearly demonstrated suppression of hyperphagia when oligofructose was added to the diet. This resulted in a slower weight gain.
Appendix 2
Professor Rob Welch (from the Northern Ireland Centre for Food and Health at the University of
The effects of oligofructose (10g/d) and pea fibre were examined in another double-blind, cross-over trial[2]. Eleven healthy adults consumed a placebo or the oligofructose/pea fibre mixture as enteral feed formulation for two weeks. The fibre feed appeared to be successful at inducing satiety. Also, energy intakes were around 3% lower and subjects lost more weight on the fibre feed, although the results failed to reach statistical significance.
[1] Piche T et al. (2003). Gastroenterology, 124, 894-902.
[2] Whelan K et al. (2006). British Journal of Nutrition, 96, 350-356.
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