Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Original Article
  • Published:

Long-term gastrointestinal tolerance of NUTRIOSE®FB in healthy men

European Journal of Clinical Nutrition volume 60, pages 1024–1034 (2006)Cite this article

Abstract

Objective:

To determine the gastrointestinal (GI) tolerance of NUTRIOSE®FB in men.

Design:

A randomized, placebo-controlled, parallel, double-blind study.

Setting:

The metabolic ward of TNO Quality of Life.

Subjects:

Forty-eight subjects started the study: 16 men participated in one of the three treatments. Subjects consumed either 22.5 g of pure maltodextrin (Glucidex®6), or 30 or 45 g of the dextrin NUTRIOSE®FB daily for 4–5 weeks. Forty-three subjects completed the study (age: 34.7±8.2 years; BMI 24.9±3.3 kg m2).

Measurements:

Tolerance of NUTRIOSE®FB was examined with a GI complaints questionnaire; effectiveness on colonic flora was examined by faecal analysis; fermentation by breath hydrogen excretion measurement. Furthermore, the effect on body weight (BW), energy intake and blood parameters were examined in the study.

Results:

Both doses of NUTRIOSE®FB were very well tolerated and GI complaints hardly differed from the placebo treatment. No diarrhoea was reported due to NUTRIOSE®FB supplementation. In the course of the study, some habituation and adaptation of GI symptoms were found. Fermentation and faecal characteristics (pH and enzyme activity) were significantly positively affected with NUTRIOSE®FB treatment. Body weight in both NUTRIOSE®FB groups remained stable over time, although the placebo-treated group showed a small increase in BW (Δday35−1 0.8±1.0 kg) (P=0.07). However, total food intake and macronutrient composition of the diet remained the same throughout the study. No significant differences were found between the three treatment groups in hunger and satiety scores and food preferences.

Conclusions:

Long-term supplementation of 30 or 45 g of the dextrin NUTRIOSE®FB per day was well tolerated, and may act as a pre-biotic supplement.

Sponsorship:

TNO Quality of Life was assigned by Roquette Frères to perform the study.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Figure 1

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Albrink MJ (1978). Dietary fibre, plasma insulin, and obesity. Am J Clin Nutr 31, S277–S279.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Alfieri MAH, Pomerleau J, Grace DM, Anderson L (1995). Fibre intake of normal weight, moderately obese and severely obese subjects. Obes Res 3, 541–547.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Birketvedt GS, Aaseth J, Florholmen JR, Ryttig K (2000). Long-term effect of fibre supplement and reduced energy intake on body weight and blood lipids in overweight subjects. Acta Med 43, 129–132.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Coudray C, Bellanger J, Vermorel M, Sinaud S, Wils D, Feillet-Coudray C et al. (2003). Two polyol, low digestible carbohydrates improve the apparent absorption of magnesium but not of calcium in healthy young men. J Nutr 133, 90–93.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Cybulski KA, Lachaussee J, Kissileff HR (1992). The threshold for satiating effectiveness of psyllium in a nutrient base. Physiol Behav 51, 89–93.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • DeLargy HJ, Burley VJ, O'Sullivan KR, Fletcher RJ, Blundell JE (1995). Effects of different soluble:insoluble fibre ratios at breakfast at 24-h pattern of dietary intake and satiety. Eur J Clin Nutr 49, 754–766.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Evans E, Miller DS (1975). Bulking agents in the treatment of obesity. Nutr Metab 18, 199–203.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Flood MT, Auerbach MH, Craig SAS (2004). A review of the clinical toleration studies of polydextrose in food. Food Chem Toxicol 42, 1531–1542.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Friedewald WT, Levy RI, Fredrickson DS (1972). Estimation of the concentration of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol in plasma, without use of the preparative ultracentrifuge. Clin Chem 18, 499–502.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Gibson GR, Roberfroid MB (1995). Dietary modulation of the human colonic microbiota: introducing the concept of prebiotics. J Nutr 125, 1401–1412.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hamilton CC, Anderson JW (1992). Fibre and weight maintenance. J Florida MA 79, 379–381.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hulshof T (1994). Fat and non-absorbable fat and the regulation of food intake Thesis, Wageningen.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jorge JMN, Wexner SD, Ehrenpreis ED (1994). The lactulose hydrogen breath test as a measure of orocaecal transit time. Eur J Surg 160, 409–416.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Jouany JP (1982). Volatile fatty acids and alcohols determination in digestive contents, silage juice, bacterial culture and anaerobic fermentor contents. Sci Aliments 2, 131–144.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kritchevsky D (1988). Dietary fibre. Annu Rev Nutr 8, 301–328.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Levine AS, Tallman JR, Grace MK, Parker SA, Billington CJ, Levitt MD (1989). Effect of breakfast cereals on short-term food intake. Am J Clin Nutr 50, 1303–1307.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lovejoy J, DiGirolamo M (1992). Habitual dietary intake and insulin sensitivity in lean and obese adults. Am J Clin Nutr 55, 1174–1179.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ma Z, Gingerich RL, Santiago JV, Klein S, Smith CH, Landt M (1996). Radioimmunoassay of leptin in human plasma. Clin Chem 42, 942–946.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Pasman WJ (1998). Obesity Treatment and Weight Maintenance Thesis, Maastricht University, Maastricht.

  • Pasman WJ, Wauters MAJ, Westerterp-Plantenga MS, Saris WHM (1997). Effect of one week of fibre supplementation on hunger and satiety or energy intake. Appetite 29, 77–87.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Porikos K, Hagamen S (1986). Is fibre satiating? Effects of a high fibre preload on subsequent food intake of normal-weight and obese young men. Appetite 7, 153–162.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Reddy BS, Engle A, Simi B, Goldman M (1992). Effect of dietary fibre on colonic bacterial enzymes and bile acids in relation to colon cancer. Gastroenterology 102, 1475–1482.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Roediger W (1991). Cellular metabolism of short-chain fatty acids in colonic epithelial cells. In: Roche AF (ed). Short-Chain Fatty Acids: Metabolism and Clinical Importance. Report of the Tenth Ross Conference on Medical Research. Ross Laboratories: Columbus, Ohio. pp 67–71.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rössner S (1992). Dietary fibre in the prevention and treatment of obesity. In: Schweizer TF, Edwards CA (ed). Dietary fibre – A Component of Food Chapter 15. Springer-Verlag: London, pp 265–277.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Rumessen JJ, Gudmand-Høyer E (1998). Fructans of chicory: intestinal transport and fermentation of different chain lengths and relation to fructose and sorbitol malabsorption. Am J Clin Nutr 68, 357–364.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Sas Institute Inc. (1989) SAS/STAT® User's Guide Version 6.12, 4th edn. SAS Institute Inc.: Cary, NC, USA.

  • Spiller GA (1993). Suggestions for a basis on which to determine a desirable intake of dietary fibre. In: Spiller GA (ed). CRC Handbook of Dietary Fibre in Human Nutrition 2nd edn. pp CRC Press Boca Raton: Florida, pp 351–354.

    Google Scholar 

  • van den Heuvel EGHM, Wils D, Pasman WJ, Bakker M, Saniez M-H, Kardinaal AFM (2004). Short-term digestive tolerance of different doses of NUTRIOSE®FB, a food dextrin, in adult men. Eur J Clin Nutr 58, 1046–1055.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • van den Heuvel EGHM, Wils D, Pasman WJ, Saniez M-H, Kardinaal AFM (2005). Dietary supplementation of different doses of NUTRIOSE®FB, a fermentable dextrin, alters the activity of faecal enzymes in healthy men. Eur J Nutr 44, 445–451.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Van Nuenen MHMC, Meyer PD, Venema K (2003). The effect of various inulins and Clostridium difficile on the metabolic activity of the human colonic microbiota in vitro. Micriob Ecol Health Dis 15, 137–144.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Venema K, Van Nuenen M, Smeets-Peeters M, Minekus M, Havenaar R (2000). TNO's in vitro large intestinal model: an excellent screening tool for functional food and pharmaceutical research. Ernährung 24, 558–564.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Venema K, Vermunt SHF, Brink EJ (2005). D-tagatose increases butyrate production by the colonic microbiota in healthy men and women. Microb Ecol Health Dis 17, 47–57.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wynder EL, Stellman SD, Zang EA (1996). High fibre intake. Indicator of a healthy lifestyle (editorial) JAMA 275, 486–487.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

We thank the volunteers who participated in the study. We thank all involved in the conduct of the study and laboratory (blood and faecal) analyses and statistics. Koen Venema and Gertruud Bakker are gratefully acknowledged for their useful discussion of the results.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. TNO Quality of Life, Zeist, The Netherlands

    W Pasman & A Kardinaal

  2. Roquette Frères, Lestrem, France

    D Wils & M-H Saniez

Authors
  1. W Pasman
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. D Wils
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. M-H Saniez
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. A Kardinaal
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to W Pasman.

Additional information

Guarantor: W Pasman.

Contributors: WP was involved in the design of the study, conduct, data analysis and wrote the manuscript. DW conceived the original idea, advised on study design and critically appraised the manuscript. M-HS and AK supervised the study and critically evaluated the manuscript.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Pasman, W., Wils, D., Saniez, MH. et al. Long-term gastrointestinal tolerance of NUTRIOSE®FB in healthy men. Eur J Clin Nutr 60, 1024–1034 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ejcn.1602418

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ejcn.1602418

Keywords

This article is cited by

Search

Advanced search

Quick links