Fructo-oligosaccharide effects on blood glucose: an overview.
Study Goal
To evaluate the role of fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS) in glycemia control by reviewing existing scientific literature.
Results Summary
FOS supplementation reduced fecal content and increased intestinal transit time. High doses (60 g/kg) of propionate decreased glycemia, while lower doses (3 g/kg) did not. In type II diabetes patients, 8 g of FOS for 14 days reduced serum glucose, but no effect was seen in healthy subjects.
Population
Subjects with type II diabetes and healthy individuals.
Effective Dosage
60 g/kg (experimental), 3 g/kg (experimental), 8 g/day (human study).
Duration
14 days (human study).
Interactions
None mentioned.
| Intervention | Direction | Endpoint | Population | Dosage | Impact | Claim # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS) | decrease | fecal content | - | - | reduces | #1 |
fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS) | increase | intestinal transit time | - | - | increases | #2 |
dietary supplementation with high doses of propionate | decrease | glycemia | - | 60 g/Kg | decreased | #3 |
dietary supplementation with lower doses of propionate | no change | glycemia | - | 3 g/kg | did not produce the same results | #4 |
addition of 8 grams of FOS in the diet for 14 days | decrease | serum glucose | subjects with diabetes type II | 8 grams | caused a reduction | #5 |
FOS | no change | glycemic control | healthy subjects | - | there were no changes | #6 |
consumption of FOS | decrease | glucose metabolism | - | - | has a beneficial influence | #7 |
PURPOSE: To identify the current status of scientific knowledge in fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS), non-conventional sugars that play an important role in glycemia control. METHODS: We performed a search for scientific articles in MEDLINE and LILACS databases, from January 1962 to December 2011, using English/Portuguese key words: "blood glucose/glicemia", "prebiotics/prebióticos" and "dietary fiber/fibras na dieta". From an initial number of 434 references, some repeated, 43 references published from 1962 to 2011 were included in this study. The selected texts were distributed in three topics: (1) metabolism of FOS, (2) FOS and experimental studies involving glucose and (3) human studies involving glucose and FOS. RESULTS: Five studies have shown that the use of FOS reduces the fecal content and increases intestinal transit time. Experimental studies have shown that dietary supplementation with high doses (60 g/Kg) of propionate, a short-chain fatty acid decreased glycemia. The use of lower doses (3 g/kg) did not produce the same results. Study in subjects with diabetes type II showed that the addition of 8 grams of FOS in the diet for 14 days, caused a reduction in serum glucose. In another study with healthy subjects, there were no changes in glycemic control. CONCLUSIONS: This review demonstrates that consumption of FOS has a beneficial influence on glucose metabolism. The controversies appear to be due to inadequate methodological designs and/or the small number of individuals included in some studies.