Hydroxypropylmethylcellulose and Methylcellulose Consumption Reduce Postprandial Insulinemia in Overweight and Obese Men and Women

• Published in: The Journal of nutrition Vol. 138; no. 2; pp. 292 - 296
• Main Authors: Maki, Kevin C, Carson, Michael L, Miller, Marvin P, Turowski, Maciej, Bell, Marjorie, Wilder, Donna M, Rains, Tia M, Reeves, Matthew S
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Bethesda, MD American Society for Nutrition 01.02.2008; American Society for Nutritional Sciences
• Subjects: Biological and medical sciences; Blood Glucose; Cross-Over Studies; dietary fiber; Dietary Fiber - pharmacology; Double-Blind Method; Feeding. Feeding behavior; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Humans; hydroxypropylmethylcellulose; hyperinsulinemia; Hypromellose Derivatives; insulin; Insulin - blood; Male; Medical sciences; men; Metabolic diseases; methylcellulose; Methylcellulose - analogs & derivatives; Methylcellulose - pharmacology; nutrient intake; nutrition physiology; Obesity; Obesity - blood; overweight; Postprandial Period - physiology; postprandial state; test meals; Time Factors; Vertebrates: anatomy and physiology, studies on body, several organs or systems; viscosity; women; Human; Obesity; Nutrition; Food intake; Postprandial; Nutrition disorder; Female; Cellulose(methyl); Nutritional status; Feeding; Overweight
• ISSN: 0022-3166; 1541-6100
• DOI: 10.1093/jn/138.2.292

Hydroxypropylmethylcellulose (HPMC) and methylcellulose (MC) are modified cellulose dietary fibers that generate viscous solutions in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. This study assessed the effects of high viscosity (HV) HPMC, ultra-HV (UHV) HPMC, and medium viscosity MC on postprandial glucose and insulin responses in overweight and obese men and women (n = 50). After overnight fasts, subjects consumed 5 breakfast meals containing 75 g carbohydrate, each of which contained 1 of the following: 1 g HV-HPMC, 2 g HV-HPMC, 2 g UHV-HPMC, 4 g medium-viscosity MC or control (2 g cellulose). Test sequence was randomized and double-blind, except the MC test, which was last and single-blind (46 subjects completed all 5 tests). Glucose and insulin responses were determined pre-meal and for 120 min postprandially. Median (interquartile limits) peak glucose concentration was lower (P = 0.001) after the meal containing 2.0 g UHV-HPMC (7.1, 6.3-8.2 mmol/L) compared with the control meal (7.7, 6.6-8.7 mmol/L). The control did not differ from the other conditions for peak glucose or for any of the HPMC/MC conditions for glucose incremental areas under the curves (IAUC). Peak insulin was reduced (P < 0.05) for all HPMC/MC conditions compared with control. Insulin IAUC was lower than control (P < 0.001) after meals containing 2 g HV-HPMC, 2 g UHV-HPMC, and 4 g MC. GI symptoms did not differ among treatments. These findings indicate that HV-HPMC (1 and 2 g), UHV-HPMC (2 g), and MC (4 g) consumption reduced postprandial insulin excursions consistent with delayed glucose absorption.