Flax Helps to Modulate Appetite

Previously, studies have linked an increased intake of dietary fibers with a reduced risk of lifestyle diseases, due in large part to their physiological effects in the gastrointestinal tract. M. Kristensen, from the University of Copenhagen (Denmark), and colleagues recruited 18 men, average age 27 years with an average body mass index (BMI) of 25 kg/m2, and randomly assigned each subject  to consume meals supplemented with 1.4 or 2.4 grams of whole flaxseeds per megajoule of energy, or 2.4 or 3.5 g/MJ of flaxseed dietary fiber. During seven hours of study, the team conducted analyses of appetite-regulating hormones and blood sugar and lipid levels. Compared to a control meal, blood levels of triglycerides were reduced significantly after consuming the highest dose of flaxseed fiber.  As well, the researchers observed differences in the response of ghrelin, an appetite-regulating hormone, noting that 2.4 grams of flaxseed fiber added to a meal increased the subject’s ratings of satiety and fullness. The team concludes that: “These findings suggest that flaxseed [dietary fiber] may suppress postprandial lipemia and appetite.”