Effects of inulin supplementation on body composition and metabolic outcomes in children with obesity
What this study found
Inulin did not provide substantial additional benefits for adiposity or metabolic outcomes beyond the concurrent behavioral program, although it was associated with a small increase in fat-free mass. BMI z-scores decreased within each group at 3 and 6 months (P < 0.0001), and FMI and trunk FMI also fell in all groups (FMI: placebo 5%, inulin 4.2%, fiber advice 7.8%; trunk FMI: placebo 3.5%, inulin 5.2%, fiber advice 1.8%; all P < 0.01). Fat-free mass increased only in the inulin group, from 16.18 ± 1.90 to 16.38 ± 1.98 kg/m^2 (P = 0.009), and this remained significant in GEE models adjusted…
- Study & population
- Randomized, three-arm trial in obese Thai children aged 7 to 15 years at King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital, Thailand.
- Intervention
- The active intervention was extracted inulin powder, 13 g daily, taken about 30 minutes before dinner and mixed with 150 ml warm water for 6 months.
- Key limitation
- All groups received intensive behavioral modification, low-energy and low-fat diet advice, and regular follow-up, which likely reduced the ability to detect an intervention-specific effect.
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Open PDFOriginal abstract
Inulin might improve body composition in obese children. We aimed to determine the effects of inulin supplementation on body composition and metabolic outcomes in obese children. A randomized, double-blinded placebo-controlled study was conducted in obese Thai children aged 7–15 years. Participants were assigned to 3 treatment groups for 6 months: 13 g of extracted inulin powder from Thai Jerusalem artichoke, isocaloric maltodextrin, and dietary fiber advice groups. Body composition was assessed by bioelectrical impedance analysis. One-hundred and fifty-five children completed the study (mean age 10.4 ± 2.2 years, BMI z-score 3.2 ± 1.0, 59% male). The drop-out rate was 6%. The inulin extract yielded more than 90% compliance without significant gastrointestinal side effects. All three groups demonstrated a significant decrease in BMI z-score, fat mass index (FMI), and trunk FMI, but the differences between groups were not observed. Fat-free mass index significantly increased only in the inulin group (16.18 ± 1.90 vs. 16.38 ± 1.98 kg/m2, P = 0.009). There were no significant differences in the metabolic profiles between groups. Despite showing no substantial effect on adiposity, inulin may increase fat-free mass in obese children. Further research in the change of gut microbiota composition is needed to determine inulin’s impact on host-microbe interaction in pediatric obesity.