Background: Foods containing strong-gelling fibers may provide a safe and efficacious strategy for reducing food intake by stimulating endogenous satiety signaling. Objective: A novel, 2-part beverage, consisting of alginate-pectin and calcium components, that forms a stable, fibrous gel in the stomach was tested to determine its effects on subjective satiety and food intake in overweight and obese women. Design: The investigation was a within-subjects, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Subjects (n ҃ 29) ingested a 2-part beverage twice per day (once before breakfast and once midafternoon) for 7 d. Three alginate-pectin formulations were tested: 1.0 g, 2.8 g, and control (no fiber). Subjective satiety and ad libitum food intake were measured on days 1 and 7 of each 1-wk treatment period with a 1-wk washout between testings. Results: A significant reduction in food intake was observed at dinner for both formulations compared with the control formulation. The effects of the gel beverage differed as a function of rigid dietary restraint status. Women in the lower 50th percentile of rigid restraint consumed 12% less energy during the day and 22% less for the evening snack in the 2.8-g condition compared with the control condition. No effect was found for women in the upper 50th percentile of rigid restraint. Conclusions: Consumption of a postingestion, calcium-gelled fiber beverage twice daily reduced energy intake in overweight and obese women with low rigid restraint scores. Use of foods designed to enhance satiety may be an effective adjunctive therapy for weight loss; however, more research is needed to determine how dietary restraint alters this response.Am J Clin Nutr 2007;86: 1595-602.

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Consumption of a postingestion, calcium-gelled fiber beverage twice daily reduced energy intake in overweight and obese women with low rigid restraint scores. Use of foods designed to enhance satiety may be an effective adjunctive therapy for weight loss; however, more research is needed to determine how dietary restraint alters this response.

L‐Phenylalanine (Phe), an essential amino acid, has been shown to elicit release of the gut hormone cholecystokinin (CCK) and reduce energy intake. Animal studies have demonstrated potentiation of the satiety effects of CCK by estradiol (E2). The aim of our study was to compare the effects of Phe on food intake in the follicular phase of the menstrual cycle, when E2 concentrations are high, versus the luteal phase, when the effects of E2 are antagonized by progesterone. In a 2 X 2, within‐subjects' design, 16 women completed four test sessions scheduled to coincide with the follicular and luteal phases of two menstrual cycles. Subjects received Phe in one cycle and placebo in the other. Ad libitum food intake at meals and evening snack was measured. An interaction of condition and phase was found for energy intake at evening snack (P = 0.009). Subjects ate 36% less in the Phe condition versus placebo in the follicular‐phase sessions, but ate the same amount during the luteal‐phase sessions for Phe and placebo conditions (0% reduction). A similar pattern was noted for total daily energy intake although the difference was not statistically significant (P = 0.12) and the effect was smaller (12% reduction with Phe during the follicular phase and 4% reduction during the luteal phase). In conclusion, this study demonstrates that phase of the menstrual cycle modulates the satiety effects of Phe in women. Supported by UB 2020 Scholars Fund.

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