1er October 2009 – Consuming Dietary Fiber May Help Obese or Overweight Postmenopausal Women Better Control Their Appetite, Preliminary Study Finds1 conducted at the University of Montreal.
Researchers found that ingesting dietary fiber lowered levels of ghrelin, a hormone that stimulates appetite, by about 25%. “Ghrelin, produced by the stomach, is one of several hormones that regulate appetite. It opens the appetite and triggers food intake, ”says Dr.r Rémi Rabasa-Lhoret, researcher at the Montreal Clinical Research Institute (IRCM) and author of the study.
“By consuming more fiber, ghrelin levels in postmenopausal women remain low for longer, which would delay the feeling of hunger,” says the researcher. One more reason, he adds, to eat foods high in fiber.
To lose weight?
Could this appetite regulating effect of fiber help menopausal women lose weight? The Dr Rabasa-Lhoret, also a professor in the Department of Nutrition at the University of Montreal, remains cautious. “These results are very preliminary and fiber is not yet a tool for treating obesity in postmenopausal women. “
The study was carried out on 35 postmenopausal women who were obese or overweight, aged 46 to 68 years and not suffering from diabetes. These women listed all the foods, drinks and condiments they consumed during 3 days. The researchers measured changes in ghrelin in their blood following a 12-hour fast and at different times after insulin injections.
Emmanuelle Bergeron – PasseportSanté.net
According to Forum.
1. St-Pierre DH, Rabasa-Lhoret R et al. Fiber intake predicts ghrelin levels in overweight and obese postmenopausal women, Eur J Endocrinol. 2009 Jul; 161 (1): 65-72.
