Incorporating 25 g/d of Pea Fiber into Food for 4 Wk Reduces Glucose Area under the Curve in Individuals with Overweight and Obesity.

BACKGROUND

Despite the known strong beneficial association between high-fiber (HiFi) consumption and reduced incidence of chronic diseases, a lack of knowledge exists on the role of pulse fibers in mitigating cardiometabolic risk.

OBJECTIVES

We investigated the acute and chronic (4 wk) effects of consuming either a low-fiber (LowFi) or a HiFi diet (pea fiber incorporated into meals) on markers of cardiometabolic risk in individuals with overweight or obesity having ≥1 characteristic of the metabolic syndrome.

METHODS

Participants were randomly assigned to receive either a LowFi (5 g/d of pea fiber) or a HiFi (25 g/d of pea fiber) diet for 4 wk in a parallel-arm, repeated-measures, randomized design. At the beginning (day 0) and end of the intervention (day 28), a meal test (MT) challenge lasting 4.5 h was completed. During the MT, fasting and postprandial blood samples were taken for measurement of total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglycerides, glucose, and insulin concentrations. Anthropometrics, body composition, and blood pressure were also assessed.

RESULTS

Twenty-nine subjects (LowFi: n = 16; HiFi: n = 13; aged 31.6 ± 9.4 y, body mass index (in kg/m2) 30.1 ± 2.6, mean ± standard deviation) completed the study, and their data were analyzed. A main effect of time (P < 0.001) after the MT occurred for glucose and insulin responses, with a time-by-group interaction for insulin (P = 0.035). Within the HiFi group, a lower total glucose area under the curve was observed at day 28 compared to day 0 (25,719 ± 1038 compared with 26,642 ± 1237 mg/dL . min, P = 0.035). No other significant results were observed.

CONCLUSIONS

Incorporating 25 g/d of pea fiber into food is efficacious in reducing total glucose area under the curve in individuals with overweight and obesity. This dietary strategy is feasible for managing overall health, especially in individuals at risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT04611217.