Effects of inulin-type fructans on appetite, energy intake, and body weight in children and adults: systematic review of randomized controlled trials.

AIM

To systematically evaluate the effects of inulin-type fructan (ITF) supplementation on appetite, energy intake, and body weight (BW) in children and adults.

METHODS

The MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library databases were searched up to December 2012 for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that compared the effects of supplementation with well-defined ITF with placebo or no intervention.

RESULTS

For the pediatric population, 4 RCTs (n = 232) met the inclusion criteria. In infants, very limited evidence (1 RCT, n = 62) showed no effect of ITF supplementation on energy intake and BW. One RCT involving 97 nonobese adolescents aged 9 to 13 years found a reduced increase in BW in the oligofructose + inulin (8 g/day) group compared with the control group after 1 year. For the adult population, 15 RCTs (n = 545) met the inclusion criteria. Five RCTs found no effect of ITF supplementation on appetite sensations. Eleven RCTs found no effect of ITF supplementation on daily energy intake or energy intake during a meal tolerance test. Among 3 RCTs that assessed the effect of ITF supplementation on BW, 2 RCTs showed a (significant) reduction in BW. Of 3 RCTs that evaluated body mass index (BMI), 1 RCT showed a significant reduction in BMI in subjects supplemented with ITF.

CONCLUSION

Limited data suggest that long-term administration of ITF may contribute to weight reduction.