Effect of a viscous fiber-containing nutrition bar on satiety of patients with type 2 diabetes

Abstract To assess the satiety-promoting effect of a novel viscous fiber-containing nutrition bar, overweight and obese adult subjects with type 2 diabetes ( n = 99) were randomized into a double blind, crossover study. They were fed a 300 kcal lunch consisting of viscous fiber-containing nutrition bars (VF) or commercial nutrition control bars designed for people with diabetes (CH). VF resulted in a 27.1% increase in fullness ( p < 0.05), a 15.8% decrease in prospective consumption ( p < 0.001), and a 14.2% decrease in hunger ( p < 0.001) in the 120–240 min post-lunch areas under the curve (AUC) compared to CH, but no differences were observed for nausea or thirst ( p > 0.05). Similar results were noted for 0–300 min AUC values. VF were associated with greater frequencies and intensities of abdominal distention ( p < 0.001) and flatulence ( p < 0.001), and greater frequency of stools ( p < 0.001) compared to CH, but there were no differences in mean or maximum (loosest) stool consistency ( p > 0.05). Overall, these results suggest that VF could be a useful tool in weight management of type 2 diabetes.