Capturing a High-Fiber Diet’s Curbs on Appetite

A potential food additive multiplies the effects of a high-fiber diet. The researchers focused on a naturally occurring substance called propionate, produced when fiber ferments in the gut. Propionate stimulates the release of hormones that signal the brain to reduce hunger, and the researchers wanted to see if giving volunteers high doses would magnify the effect. So they developed a formulation called IPE (inulin-propionate ester) that is designed to reach the gut intact; two teaspoons deliver the propionate punch of perhaps 10 bowls of whole-grain cereal. In small experiments, it seems to work. http://www.wsj.com/articles/capturing-a-high-fiber-diets-curbs-on-appetite-1419025820