Gut bacteria-based supplement reduces cravings for high-calorie foods

Researchers from Imperial College London and the University of Glasgow – both in the United Kingdom – reveal how participants who consumed milkshakes containing a supplement called inulin-propionate ester were less likely to crave foods high in calories.  The supplement works by increasing production of the compound propionate in the gut, which previous studies have shown is released naturally when the fiber inulin – found in fruits and vegetables such as artichokes, bananas, and asparagus – is digested.  Inulin is known to reduce appetite by slowing digestion and increasing fullness, and it is already available as a dietary supplement. Previous studies have shown that propionate also reduces appetite, though exactly how has been unclear.  For this latest study, senior author Prof. Gary Frost, of the Department of Medicine at Imperial, and colleagues set out to determine exactly how propionate reduces appetite, and whether inulin-propionate ester – a combination of inulin and propionate – might be more effective than inulin alone for scaling down food intake.