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Dietary fiber intake, dietary glycemic index and load, and body mass index: a cross-sectional study of 3931 Japanese women aged 18–20 years

European Journal of Clinical Nutrition volume 61, pages 986–995 (2007)Cite this article

Abstract

Objective:

Few observational studies have investigated dietary fiber intake and dietary glycemic index (GI) and glycemic load (GL) simultaneously in relation to obesity, particularly in non-Western populations. We examined the associations between dietary fiber intake and dietary GI and GL, and body mass index (BMI) in young Japanese women.

Design:

Cross-sectional study.

Subjects:

A total of 3931 female Japanese dietetic students aged 18–20 years from 53 institutions in Japan.

Methods:

Dietary fiber intake and dietary GI and GL (GI for glucose=100) were assessed by a validated, self-administered, diet history questionnaire. BMI was calculated from self-reported body weight and height.

Results:

Mean values of BMI, dietary fiber intake, dietary GI and dietary GL were 21.0 kg/m2, 6.5 g/4186 kJ, 65.1 and 82.1/4186 kJ, respectively. White rice (GI=77) was the major contributor to dietary GI and GL (45.8%). After controlling for potential dietary and nondietary confounding factors, dietary fiber intake was negatively correlated with BMI (adjusted mean=21.1 kg/m2 in the lowest and 20.7 kg/m2 in the highest quintiles; P for trend=0.0007). Conversely, dietary GI and GL were independently positively correlated with BMI (20.8 and 21.2 kg/m2; P for trend=0.03, and 20.5 and 21.5 kg/m2; P for trend=0.0005, respectively).

Conclusions:

Dietary fiber intake showed an independent negative association with BMI, and dietary GI and GL showed an independent positive association with BMI among relatively lean young Japanese women.

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Acknowledgements

We thank the students for their generous participation in the study. We also thank Dr M Sugiyama for technical advice regarding glycemic index values for Japanese foods.

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Author notes

  1. Other members of the Freshmen in Dietetic Courses Study II Group have been listed previously in Murakami K, Sasaki S, Okubo H, Takahashi Y, Hosoi Y, Itabashi M, the Freshmen in Dietetic Courses Study II Group (2006a). Association between dietary fiber, water, and magnesium intake and functional constipation among young Japanese women. Eur J Clin Nutr (advance online publication, 6 December 2006; doi:10.1038/sj.ejcn.1602573).

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Nutritional Epidemiology Program, N,

    K Murakami, S Sasaki, Y Takahashi, Y Hosoi & M Itabashi

  2. ational Institute of Health and Nutrition, Tokyo, Japan

    K Murakami, S Sasaki, Y Takahashi, Y Hosoi & M Itabashi

  3. Department of Nutrition Sciences, Kagawa Nutrition University, Saitama, Japan

    H Okubo

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and the Freshmen in Dietetic Courses Study II Group

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Correspondence to S Sasaki.

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Guarantor: S Sasaki.

Contributors: KM was involved in the study designing, data collection and data management, conducted the statistical analyses, and wrote the manuscript. SS was responsible for the study designing, data collection, data management, and the overall management and assisted in the manuscript preparation. HO was involved in the study designing. YT assisted in the manuscript preparation. YH was involved in the study designing, data collection and data management. MI was involved in data collection and data management. All the authors provided suggestions during the preparation of the manuscript and approved the final version submitted for publication.

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Murakami, K., Sasaki, S., Okubo, H. et al. Dietary fiber intake, dietary glycemic index and load, and body mass index: a cross-sectional study of 3931 Japanese women aged 18–20 years. Eur J Clin Nutr 61, 986–995 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ejcn.1602610

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