Effect of Arabinoxylan Oligosaccharides Consumption on Insulin Resistance in Patients With Metabolic Syndrome

Inclusion criteria

• Age between 18 and 65 years
• Regular diet (3 meals/day on at least 5 days/week)
• Central obese (defined as waist circumference ≥ 94cm for Europid men and ≥ 80cm for Europid women, with ethnicity specific values for other groups)
• Insulin resistant: HOMA-IR > 1.7 or fasting glucose > 100mg/dL
• And one of the following three factors:

• Elevated TG level: ≥ 150 mg/dL (1.7 mmol/L)
• Decreased HDL cholesterol level: < 40 mg/dL (1.03 mmol/L*) in males and < 50 mg/dL (1.29 mmol/L*) in females
• Elevated blood pressure (BP): systolic BP ≥ 130 or diastolic BP ≥ 85 mm Hg

Exclusion criteria

• Low calorie diet or other special diet during the study or during the last month prior to the study
• Serious chronic disease of the gastrointestinal tract, such as inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis), irritable bowel syndrome, chronic constipation (less than 3 bowel movements a week), chronic frequent diarrhoea (more than 3 stools a day), clinically relevant lactose intolerance, …
• Use of antibiotics during the last month before starting the study
• Abdominal surgery in the past (except from appendectomy)
• Use of medication that affects the gastro-intestinal tract during the last 2 weeks prior to the study including spasmolytics, anti-diarrhoea medication, anti-constipation medication, and/or pre- or probiotic supplements (e.g. lacteol, Enterol)
• Pregnancy, pregnancy desire or lactation
• Diabetes (type 1 or 2), i.e. HbA1c > 6.5 %
• Abnormal haemoglobin (Hb) levels in blood, men must have an Hb level between 14.0 and 18.0 g / dL and women between 12.0 and 16.0 g / dL.