Nutrition

Biography

Biography: Theertham Pradyumna Rao

Abstract

Inter-meal appetite and subsequent snacking habits are largely contribute for high calorie intake and obesity. Therefore suppression of inter-meal appetite may be a logical approach for proper weight management. Among various kinds of dietary fibers, the viscous dietary fibers are effective in appetite control due to their bulking effects, but in turn they raise the uncomfortable feeling of bloating and heavy stomach. Guar fiber popularly known as partially hydrolyzed guar gum (PHGG) is near non-viscous soluble fiber offer physiological approach for the appetite control though induction of satiety hormones, slow colonic transit time and perception of satiety for more than 4 hours. The guar fiber mostly comprised with medium chain length guar galactomannans ferments slowly for longer period of time to exert many of its physiological effects though production of high amounts of short chain fatty acids in particular butyrate. Clinical studies suggest that guar fiber offer both acute and sustained satiety effects with intake of 5g and 2g per serving, respectively. Regular intake of guar fiber at a dose of 2 g/serving provided significant sustained post-meal satiation effects and minimized the inter-meal calorie intake by about 20% in normal subjects. Guar fiber containing >85% soluble dietary fiber without viscosity and bloating effect could be an ideal natural dietary fiber for use in food and supplement applications at low dosage levels for comfortable appetite control