REVIEWS IN BASIC AND CLINICAL

GASTROENTEROLOGY
John P. Lynch and David C. Metz, Section Editors

Dietary Fiber Supplements: Effects in Obesity and Metabolic Syndrome

and Relationship to Gastrointestinal Functions
ATHANASIOS PAPATHANASOPOULOS and MICHAEL CAMILLERI
Clinical Enteric Neuroscience Translational and Epidemiological Research (CENTER), College of Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota

Dietary fiber is a term that reflects a heterogeneous

group of natural food sources, processed grains, and
commercial supplements. Several forms of dietary
fiber have been used as complementary or alternative
agents in the management of manifestations of the
metabolic syndrome, including obesity. Not surprisingly, there is a great variation in the biological efficacy of dietary fiber in the metabolic syndrome and
body weight control. Diverse factors and mechanisms
have been reported as mediators of the effects of
dietary fiber on the metabolic syndrome and obesity.
Among this array of mechanisms, the modulation of
gastric sensorimotor influences appears to be crucial
for the effects of dietary fiber but also quite variable.
This report focuses on the role, mechanism of action, and benefits of different forms of fiber and
supplements on obesity and the metabolic syndrome,
glycemia, dyslipidemia, and cardiovascular risk and explores the effects of dietary fiber on gastric sensorimotor function and satiety in mediating these actions of
dietary fiber.

besity is a risk factor for morbidity and mortality

from cardiovascular, musculoskeletal, malignant,
and metabolic diseases1 as well as considerable social and
financial burdens.2 Poor compliance with behavior-modifying management programs and frequent regain of
weight after the cessation of most medical therapies have
led to the use of alternative, conservative approaches
based on dietary fiber before considering bariatric surgery.
The potential beneficial effects attributed to dietary
fiber3 were based on earlier epidemiologic studies, indirect evidence,4 claims of efficacy in a predominantly overthe-counter unregulated domain, and the perception of
the public that if a product is natural, it is safe and
efficacious. The scientific literature documents several
favorable effects of dietary fiber on glucose homeostasis,
lipid metabolism, and calorie intake. The gastrointestinal
tract plays a role in these functions. The stomach signals

satiation in response to a meal and affects the rate of

delivery of macronutrients to the small intestine, which is
the site for most nutrient and energy absorption. Gastric
and small intestinal functions are integrated with glucose-regulatory mechanisms originating in the pancreas
(eg, insulin) and the small intestine (specifically incretins,
glucose-stimulated insulinotropic peptide [GIP], and glucagon-like peptide 1 [GLP-1]).
This review is written from the gastroenterological
perspective and addresses biological properties of dietary
fiber or fiber supplements that are relevant to obesity and
the metabolic syndrome; efficacy of fiber on weight reduction, glycemic control, atherogenic dyslipidemia, hypertension, and total cardiovascular risk and the proposed mechanisms of these effects; and the role of gastric
sensorimotor-modulated functions by dietary fiber.

Properties of Fiber
Dietary Fiber: Definition and Classification
The definition of dietary fiber is the edible parts
of plants or analogous carbohydrates that resist digestion
and absorption in the human small intestine, with complete or partial fermentation in the human large intestine. It includes polysaccharides, oligosaccharides, lignin
and associated plant substances. Dietary fiber exhibits
one or more of either laxation, blood cholesterol attenuation and/or blood glucose attenuation.5
Dietary fiber includes several chemical classes: nonstarch polysaccharides (polyglucoses such as cellulose,
hemicellulose and -glucans, polyfructoses [such as inulin], and natural gums and heteropolymers such as pectin), oligosaccharides, lignin (a noncarbohydrate complex
of polyphenylpropane units functionally linked to polysacAbbreviations used in this paper: CVD, cardiovascular disease; GIP,
glucose-stimulated insulinotropic peptide; GLP-1, glucagon-like peptide 1.
2010 by the AGA Institute
0016-5085/10/$36.00
doi:10.1053/j.gastro.2009.11.045

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charides, increasing resistance to digestion), fatty acid derivatives (waxes, cutin, and suberin, serving as cross-links
between the main constituents), other plant substances
(mucilages, storage polysaccharides, and phytates), and
analogous polysaccharides (by-products of food production
affecting digestibility, or purposefully synthesized compounds).6,7
A simpler classification divides dietary fiber into soluble (pectins, gums, and mucilages and storage polysaccharides) and insoluble fiber (cellulose, hemicelluloses,
and lignin) on the basis of water solubility. Soluble fiber
has favorable effects on glucose and lipid metabolism
that are partly attributed to the increased viscosity of
luminal contents.8 Colonic fermentation of soluble fiber
yields short-chain fatty acids, which may have beneficial
effects on lipid metabolism, cardiovascular disease (CVD)
prevention, mucosal differentiation or apoptosis, and
mucosal barrier function.9 Insoluble fiber also has a generally low fermentability, but it possesses passive waterattracting properties promoting fecal bulk, softening,
and laxation.

Dietary Fiber Supplements

Table 1 provides a summary of the properties of
commonly used dietary fiber supplements and potential
(either established or investigated) effects on the metabolic syndrome.10 14

Fiber and Body Weight

Epidemiologic studies suggest an inverse relation
of dietary fiber intake and body weight,15,16 and this is
supported by cross-sectional studies (with body mass
index1719 or body fat mass20,21) and large observational
studies (body weight gain in women22 and in men23).
Body weight gain was inversely correlated with the
amount of whole grain ingested23 in the large-scale study
on Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults
(CARDIA).24

Efficacy of Dietary Fiber and Supplements on

Weight Loss in Interventional Studies
A number of interventional human trials have
shown weight reduction with diets rich in dietary fiber or
dietary fiber supplements;2528 however, other studies
failed to show any effect.29,30 Recent meta-analyses of
randomized controlled studies suggest only minor effects
on weight loss for commonly used dietary fiber supplements. Data are summarized in Table 214,28,3155 and
Table 3.30,56 60

Proposed Mechanisms for the Effect of

Dietary Fiber on Weight Reduction
Body weight and fat mass regulation result from a
complex interplay of multiple factors, involving central
nervous circuits, peripheral sensation stimuli, mechanical

GASTROENTEROLOGY Vol. 138, No. 1

and chemical satiation signals arising in the gastrointestinal tract, afferent vagal input, and adiposity signals
from fat tissue and liver.61 The stomach signals satiation
in response to volume and calories of the ingested meal;62
a lower postprandial volume predicted an increased satiation score and a decreased maximum tolerated volume
of a challenge meal test.63
In many studies, dietary fiber induced greater satiety
compared with digestible polysaccharides and simple
sugars.64,65 Greater satiety may result from several factors:
the intrinsic physical properties of dietary fiber (bulking,
gel formation, and viscosity change of gastric contents),66
modulation of gastric motor function, and blunting of
postprandial glucose and insulin responses. Postulated
effects on gut peptide hormones involved in signaling
satiation (such as ghrelin, GLP-1, cholecystokinin, peptide YY, or GIP) remain incompletely resolved.31,36,61,6770
Dietary fiber may also prolong meal duration and
result in increased mastication with possible cephalic and
peripheral influences on satiety.71 Dietary fiber containing meals have a lower energy density65 and may affect
palatability of food, possibly reducing energy intake.72

Fiber and Glucose Metabolism

Epidemiology and Mechanisms
Soluble dietary fiber is associated with lower postprandial glucose levels and increased insulin sensitivity in
diabetic and healthy subjects, effects that are generally
attributed to the viscous and/or gelling properties of
soluble fiber.7375 Insoluble dietary fiber exerts negligible
effects in postprandial glycemia. However, epidemiologic
evidence suggests the opposite.4,76 78 Soluble dietary fiber
consumption did not reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes
mellitus in observational studies79,80 or in a meta-analysis
including 328,212 subjects.81 Insoluble fibers demonstrate the strongest associations with decreased risk of
diabetes.77,82 Increased consumption of cereal dietary fiber significantly reduced the risk of diabetes (relative risk,
0.67),81 and a meta-analysis of 6 prospective studies indicates that a 2-serving-per-day increment in whole grain
consumption may reduce the risk of diabetes by 21%.83
The mechanisms involved in the favorable effect of
dietary fiber on glucose metabolism in humans appear to
differ for soluble and insoluble fibers; moreover, additional factors modulate the glycemic effects of natural
grain products.
Effects of soluble fiber. Soluble dietary fiber exerts physiologic effects on the stomach and small intestine that modulate postprandial glycemic responses.
These include the following:
1. Delayed gastric emptying,66,84 which accounts for approximately 35% of the variance in peak glucose concentrations after ingestion of oral glucose85,86

January 2010

Table 1. Summary of the Properties of Commonly Used Dietary Fiber Supplements With Established or Investigated Effects in the Metabolic Syndrome
Fiber type

Water solubility

Fermentability

Molecular weight
(daltons)

Chemical composition

Guar gum

(no heating
necessary)

High

50,0008,000,000

Galactose/mannose 1/2

Glucomannan

Enhanced by High
acetylation, in
derivatives

10,0001,900,000

Straight chain polymer,

D-mannose/D-glucose
1,6/1 (variable)11

720 106

Highly branched polymer,

22.6% arabinose, 77.4%
xylose

High

Pectin

High

(sodium salt)

High

Variable (50100,000
monomers)

Straight-chain polymer,
a-L-guluronic acid,
b-D-mannuronic acid

Not reported (low)

Not reported, complex

of 10,000
monomers

Highly cross-linked
cellulose

Alginate13

CM314

60,000130,000

D-galacturonic acid chain,

variable L-ramnose
substitutions, neutral
sugars side chains

Viscosity/gelation

Derivation

High degree (low shear) under Ground endosperm of

calcium cross-linking
Cyanopsis
abolished by hydrolysis,
tetragonolobus
ultra-high heating
Powder, added in Variable: Decrease in
Roots of
composite
acetylation Increase in
Amorphophallus
flours, konjac
alkali, heating, mol wt, high
konjac
pasta
glucomannan concentration
Fibrous mucilage High
Husks of ripe seeds
of Plantago ovata
and Plantago
psyllium species
Powder, capsules HM (60%): hydrogen bonds, Cell wall of citrus
fruits, apples, and
heat and pH sensitive LM
some vegetables
(20%40%): Ca2 crosslinking, heat and pH
resistant
Filaments,
Decrease by: increased MG
Cell walls of brown
granules,
blocks, decreased mol wt
algae
powder
High: (greater guar,
glucomannan) ionic
gelation (calcium crosslinking) Moderate: acid
gelation
Cellulose
Low
Cotton wool and bark
comprims in
capsule

Medical uses
Hyperglycemia,
hypercholesterolemia, obesity

Hyperglycemia,
hypercholesterolemia, obesity
(not FDA approved), drug
delivery system
Irritable bowel syndrome,
constipation, inflammatory
bowel disease, obesity,
diabetes, hyperglycemia
Antidiarrheal, drug delivery
system

Part of diet in east Asia,

antacid

Tested in obesity

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Plantago
psyllium12

Forms
Powder, added in
composite
flours10

FDA, Food and Drug Administration; HM, high methoxylated; LM, low methoxylated (percentage denotes degree of esterification); MG, mannuronic-guluronic acid complex.

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Type of dietary
fiber

Gastric emptying

Satiety

Glucose homeostasis

Intestinal hormones

Body weight-energy regulation

Guar gum

Delayed in most studies;

possible threshold at
5g

WMD, 0.04 kg; CI, 2.2 to 2.1

Gastrointestinal adverse effects limit guar use for
weight loss28

Minor effect

Decreased postprandial glucose levels

in most studies
Gastric emptying delay: main factor
Delayed absorption contributes
Variable

Decrease in GIP, increase in GLP-1,

increase in CCK postprandially31

Psyllium

GLP-132

Pectin

Delayed with 10 g

Enhanced in most studies; effect is

viscosity dependent, abolished
by partial hydrolysis of guar, and
modulated by meal fat content
Enhanced in most studies;
threshold in the range of
5.28.5 g
Enhanced possibly through direct
gastric effect

Alginate (limited
literature)

Enhanced only by strong-gelling

form
Independent of gastric emptying

Glucomannan

Unaffected in healthy
normal weight39
Delayed in stable
diabetic patients40
No effect42

CM3
Cellulose

Wheat fiber

Decreased postprandial glucose level

when 10 g
Possible dose-response relationship
Decrease in correlation to gastric
emptying effect40

CCK, PP35
CCK, GIP36

Enhanced satiety, combination with

psyllium43

No effect42

GIP42

No effect14

No effect14

Not reported

Not reported

Body mass index reduction of 2.0 0.3 kg/m2

at 6 months33
No effect34
No effect when supplemented to ad libitum diet37
Reduced energy intake (alginate-pectin
combination)38
Strong-gelling form: 135-kcal (7%) reduction in
mean daily energy intake over 7 weeks41
Reduced energy intake (alginate-pectin
combination)38
WMD, 0.79; CI, 1.53 to 0.0544
Weight loss 2.5 kg greater than with placebo at 8
weeks45
3.8 0.9 kg weight loss more than with
hypocaloric diet alone over 5 weeks in healthy
overweight subjects46
34 kg weight loss greater than with placebo47

Minor effects
(unmodified) Delayed
(water soluble)
Unaltered in most
studies; delayed by
undiluted50 and
coarse51 bran

Enhanced (EHEC)48

Second meal effect in combination

with amylopectin/amylose49

PP, CCK (EHEC)48

No effect (methylcellulose) on ad libitum diet37

Enhanced in most studies; inverse

correlation with degree of
refinement

Variable effects

Increase in GIP, GLP-152

Modest reductions
Interpretation of results difficult because wheat
grain was coadministered with other dietary
fiber sources in most studies5355

Not reported

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NOTE. The literature is limited for glucomannan, CM3, and cellulose.

WMD, weighted mean difference relative to placebo in meta-analysis; CI, 95% confidence interval; CCK, cholecystokinin; GIP, glucose stimulated insulinotropic peptide; PP, pancreatic polypeptide; EHEC, ethyl hydroxyethyl
cellulose (liquid fiber).

PAPATHANASOPOULOS AND CAMILLERI

Table 2. Summary of the Effects of Dietary Fiber on Gastric Emptying, Satiety, Glucose Homeostasis, Intestinal Hormones, and Body Weight Regulation

Pereira et al56

Jenkins et al57

Jenkins et al30

Esposito et al58

Anderson et al59

Azadbakht et al60

Study design

Randomized, crossover, nonblinded

study with two 6-week periods of
whole grain or refined grain in
11 OV-OB hyperinsulinemic
adults

Parallel RCT in patients with type

2 diabetes, low glycemic
index vs high cereal fiber
diets, 24 weeks

Randomized, single-blind, parallel

study in 120 OB women, 3
years, high-fiber (25 g/day) vs
low-fiber (16 g/day) diets

Parallel RCT in type 2 diabetic

men with
hypercholesterolemia, 8
weeks of diet plus (5.1 g
psyllium vs cellulose
placebo)

6-month RCT with 2 intervention diets (500kcal restriction [3 servings of whole grain
per day], 500-kcal restricted DASH diet
[4 servings of whole grain per day]), and
one eat as usual control

Fasting blood
glucose

Insignificant difference

Decrease of 6.8 mg/dL in low

glycemic index group
compared with high cereal
fiber group, P .02

Randomized crossover study in 23

adult patients with type 2
diabetes mellitus with two 3month periods of either 19 g or
4 g/day of additional cereal
fiber in bread and breakfast
cereals
Mean absolute difference of 0.4
in high vs low cereal fiber
group, P .154, no significant
intragroup change between
week 0 and weeks 812

7 mg/dL greater difference from

baseline at 2 years
(intervention minus control
group), P .001

6.1% greater difference

from baseline at 2 years
(psyllium minus cellulose
groups), insignificant

DASH: decrease of 15 and 8 mg/dL

(men and women, respectively), P .00

Author

Mean all-day blood

glucose
Fasting insulin

Insulin sensitivity

Hemoglobin A1c

Low-density
lipoprotein
cholesterol
High-density
lipoprotein
cholesterol

Triglycerides

Decrease of 11% in psyllium

vs cellulose, P .05
Decrease of 10% in whole grain
periods vs refined grain periods

3 U/mL greater difference

from baseline at 2 years
(intervention minus control
group), P .009
Decrease in insulin resistance
(HOMA): 0.9, P .008

Decrease in high-fiber vs lowfiber groups (3 U/mL, P

.009)

Decrease in insulin resistance

(HOMA) with whole grain(5.4
0.18 vs 6.2 0.18 U, P .01)
Relative change of 0.33% in
low glycemic index group
compared with high cereal
fiber group, P .001
No significant change in highfiber group compared with low
glycemic index group, P .14

Relative absolute change of

0.3% in high vs low cereal
fiber group, P .263

1.7 mg/dL increase at week 24

compared with baseline (high
cereal fiber) vs 0.9 mg/dL
decrease (low glycemic index
diet), P .005
Insignificant

Relative absolute difference of

0.05 mg/dL in high vs low
cereal fiber group, P .280

Relative absolute difference of

0.01 mg/dL in high vs low
cereal fiber group, P .798

2 mm Hg greater difference
from baseline at 2 years
(intervention minus control
group), P .009
1.7 mm Hg greater difference
from baseline at 2 years
(intervention minus control
group), P .001
0.06 greater difference in
waist/hip ratio from baseline
at 2 years (intervention minus
control group), P .008
11 kg/4.2 kg/m2, both P
.001

Relative absolute difference of 2

mm Hg in high vs low cereal
fiber group, P .388

Diastolic arterial
pressure

Insignificant

Relative absolute difference of 1

mm Hg in high vs low cereal
fiber group, P .505

Waist
circumference

Insignificant difference

6.3% change from baseline

for psyllium, no significant
change difference from
cellulose group
4.9% greater change from
baseline, no significant
change difference from
cellulose group
0.9 mmol/L greater change
from baseline (psyllium
minus cellulose groups),
P .05
7 mg/mL change from
baseline for psyllium, no
significant change
difference from cellulose
group

DASH: increase of 7 and 10 mg/dL (men

and women, respectively), P .001

DASH: Decrease of 18 and 14 (men and

women, respectively), P .001
Weight reducing diet: decrease of 13 and
10, P .05
DASH: Decrease of 12 and 11 mm Hg
(men and women, respectively), P .001
Weight-reducing diet: decrease of 6 and
6 mm Hg, P .005
DASH: decrease of 6 and 7 mm Hg
(men and women, respectively), P .001

Decrease of 57 cm with both interventions

vs control, P .04

Psyllium: 0.3 kg, cellulose:

1.5 kg, P .05

DASH: decrease of 16 and 13 kg (men

and women, respectively), P .001
Weight reducing diet: decrease of 13 and
12 kg, P .05

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RCT, randomized, double-blind, controlled trial; HOMA, Homeostasis Model Assessment.

FIBER, THE STOMACH, AND OBESITY

12 mg/mL greater difference

from baseline at 2 years
(intervention minus control
group), P .04

Insignificant

0.9 kg difference in weight

reduction (low glycemic index
minus high cereal group), P
.053

4 mg/dL greater difference

from baseline at 2 years for
total cholesterol (intervention
minus control group), P .13
4 mg/dL greater increase from
baseline at 2 years
(intervention minus control
group), P .02

Relative absolute difference of 0.1

mg/dL in high vs low cereal
fiber group, P .098

Systolic arterial
pressure

Body weight/body
mass index

January 2010

Table 3. Effects of Long-term Fiber Supplementation on End Points of the Metabolic Syndrome and Cardiovascular Risk Factors

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2. Modification of gastrointestinal myoelectrical activity87 and delayed small bowel transit66,88

3. Reduced glucose diffusion through the unstirred water layer89
4. Reduced accessibility of -amylase to its substrates
due to increased viscosity of gut contents.90,91
The determining factor in the glycemic effect is the
increased viscosity and gel-forming properties of soluble
fiber, because the hypoglycemic effect may be reversed
by hydrolysis of guar66 or after ultra-high heating and
homogenization.84
Additionally, intestinal absorption of carbohydrates
may be prolonged by soluble dietary fiber, in part by
altering incretin levels91 (eg, increasing GLP-1 levels).
In experimental clamp studies, soluble dietary fiber
also influences peripheral glucose uptake mechanisms,92
including increased skeletal muscle expression of the insulin-responsive glucose transporter type 4, which enhanced
skeletal muscle uptake, augmenting insulin sensitivity and
normalizing blood glucose levels.93 In humans, several fatty
acids stimulate expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor , which increases levels of adipocyte glucose
transporter type 4.94
Effects of insoluble fiber. The main effect of insoluble fiber on the risk of diabetes or glycemia involves
enhancement of insulin sensitivity.56 The exact underlying
mechanism is still unclear. Alterations in gut microbiota
have been implicated, in view of observed microbiota differences between obese and lean subjects, reduced gram-negative bacterial content with diets high in dietary fiber as
opposed to high-fat diets,95 and experimental data showing insulin resistance develops after daily subcutaneous
injections of gram-negative bacterial lipopolysaccharides.96 A trial of whole grain in healthy women showed
accelerated GIP and insulin response and improved postprandial glycemia during the following day.52
Effects of grains and grain products. Grains rich
in soluble -glucans (oats, rye, barley) improve glucose
tolerance more than wheat. Additional factors may also
favor the hypoglycemic effects of grains:97 greater fiber
particle size, lower level of processing and refinement,
which results in a slower gastric emptying rate,51 and a
high ratio of amylose/amylopectin. The effects on glycemia are also influenced by the amount of ingested grain
and individual factors (age, higher body mass index, and
more intolerance to glucose).

Fiber and Dyslipidemia, Hypertension,

and Cardiovascular Risk
Effects of Fiber on Dyslipidemia
Soluble fibers. Recent clinical trials98 100 and meta-

analyses101,102 support the cholesterol-lowering properties

of soluble dietary fiber (pectin, guar gum, psyllium, and
oat -glucan). Low-density lipoprotein reductions of 6%

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15% but no alterations in high-density lipoprotein or

triglyceride levels have been consistently reported. Only a
single study in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus
reported a 10% decrease in serum triglyceride levels after
6 weeks of a high-fiber diet particularly rich in soluble
fiber.103 Animal studies have elucidated that the main
mechanistic effects of soluble fiber are related to fecal
loss of bile acids.104 This results in the reduction in
hepatic cholesterol pools, modification of the activity of
enzymes regulating cholesterol homeostasis,105 up-regulation of hepatic low-density lipoprotein receptors,106 and
increased plasma low-density lipoprotein removal.107 A
fiber-induced decrease of food glycemic index may also
enhance the beneficiary effects on dyslipidemia.108
Insoluble fibers. These exhibit small cholesterollowering properties without inducing significant bile acid
loss, and effects are mainly attributed to its satiation and
satiety influences.109

Fiber and Hypertension

Several trials and observational studies have shown a
beneficial effect of increased fiber intake (both soluble and
insoluble) on the control110,111 and possibly prevention112
of hypertension. The antihypertensive effects of fiber
were confirmed in a meta-analysis of randomized trials in
hypertensive subjects.113 The postulated mechanisms include improvement of hyperinsulinemia and insulin resistance114 and a reduction of body weight.115

Fiber Consumption and Risk of CVD

Three large-scale population studies reported an
inverse association of high fiber intake24 or whole grain
consumption116,117 with risk of CVD. The first study did
not examine specific effects of different dietary fiber
sources; thus, its effects may be attributable in part to
other biologically active compounds present in high-fiber
diets (antioxidants, phytochemicals).24 In the 2 other
studies, the lower CVD risk was not fully explained by the
intake of whole grain fiber and antioxidants, suggesting
that other constituents of a natural fiber diet contribute
to the effect. In a study of 68,782 women, only cereal
fiber, among different dietary fiber sources, was associated with a reduced risk of CVD.116 In an observational
study in 11,260 men and women, lower dietary fiber and
antioxidant intake was associated with a greater number
of CVD cases and non-CVD deaths in both men and
women.
In summary, large observational studies support an
inverse association of dietary fiber intake from natural
food sources and CVD risk. The association persisted
after adjustment for confounders (body mass index, age,
smoking, and vitamin supplementation). This effect appears mostly related to consumption of cereal and whole
grain.

Fiber and Gastric Sensorimotor

Functions Related to the Metabolic
Syndrome
Given that influences of dietary fiber on metabolic
and cardiovascular outcomes are in part related to gastrointestinal functions, it is relevant to review the known effects of dietary fiber on gastrointestinal functions and
mechanisms of satiation, which are summarized in Table 2.

Conclusions
There are several studies showing that the general
population and diabetic patients in the United States do
not meet adequate mean daily fiber intake in their diets.118 120 On the other hand, there are clear and multiple
benefits from the dietary incorporation of fiber supplements and natural foods and grains on the metabolic
syndrome and CVD risk and, possibly, their prevention.
The gastrointestinal tract is a crucial intermediary in
these benefits through fiber modulation of gastric and
small bowel motility, intestinal absorption, hormonal
milieu, colonic microbiota, and fermentation. These interrelated influences also trigger diverse hepatopancreatic
and peripheral alterations (such as glucose utilization
and uptake), which further benefit the metabolic syndrome. Ongoing research on the gastrointestinal and
metabolic effects of dietary fiber will provide valuable
insight into the undefined mechanisms and may lead to
new strategies to derive the greatest benefit from rational
use of dietary fiber. We believe that future guidelines
from influential professional organizations (such as in
the fields of diabetes, obesity, cardiology, and gastroenterology) may help incorporate the results of research in
grain products, recommend the best dietary sources, and
refine methods and doses to benefit diabetic patients,
patients with impaired glucose tolerance, and the public.
It is also conceivable that combination supplemental
formulas of different forms of dietary fiber could optimize viscosity, dose, preparation method, and palatability
profiles to maximize patient compliance and metabolic
benefits.
Although health effects of fiber have been postulated
for centuries, they have been systematically investigated
for only 30 years. The integration of current knowledge
regarding dietary fiber in the context of the metabolic
syndrome suggests dietary fiber still plays a pivotal role in
the metabolic syndrome and its consequences.

Supplementary Data
Note: The first 50 references associated with this
article are available below in print. The remaining references accompanying this article are available online only
with the electronic version of the article. Visit the online
version of Gastroenterology at www.gastrojournal.org, and
at doi:10.1053/j.gastro.2009.11.045.

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REVIEWS IN
BASIC AND CLINICAL
GASTROENTEROLOGY

January 2010

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Reprint requests
Address requests for reprints to: Michael Camilleri, MD, Mayo
Clinic, Charlton 8-110, 200 First Street Southwest, Rochester,
Minnesota 55905. e-mail: [email protected].
Conicts of interest
The authors disclose no conicts.
Funding
Supported in part by grants R01 DK 67071 and K24 DK 02638
from the National Institutes of Health (to M.C.) and an international
grant from the Hellenic Society of Gastroenterology (to A.P.).

January 2010

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