The effect of soy polysaccharide on body weight, serum lipids, blood glucose, and fecal parameters in moderately obese adults

This double-blind study examined the effects of soy polysaccharide on perceived hunger, body weight, blood lipids and fecal parameters in moderately obese subjects. Thirty subjects, one male and 29 female, completed the 14-week study. The fiber group consumed 6.76 g of dietary fiber as soy polysaccharide in crackers three times per day, 30 minutes before each meal, for a total of 20.3 g of dietary fiber per day. The placebo group ingested low fiber crackers, ingesting a total of 0.7 g of dietary fiber per day. Fiber subjects lost .04 Kg while the control group gained 0.76 Kg (N.S.). Subjects consuming fiber reported feeling significantly less hungry at breakfast. Total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, triglycerides, blood glucose, hemoglobin, and hematocrit levels did not change significantly during the 14-week study. Seventeen of the 30 subjects gave fecal samples at three different times during the study. No significant differences in fecal transit times, wet weight, dry weight, percent of water content, frequency of defecation or stool consistency were found. Fiber subjects, in general, rated their stools as softer than the control group. Thus, an addition of 20 g per day of dietary fiber as soy polysaccharide may reduce hunger slightly, but does not significantly reduce body weight in moderately obese subjects consuming an otherwise normal American diet.