Evidence map›Paper›PMID 26500686›Full record

ArticleNutrition & metabolism2015

A randomized controlled trial: the effect of inulin on weight management and ectopic fat in subjects with prediabetes.

Nicola D Guess, Anne Dornhorst, Nick Oliver, Jimmy D Bell, E Louise Thomas, Gary S Frost

Registry-linked trialOpen access · goldAbstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Nutrition & metabolism, 2015. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT01841073 (Effect of Fermentable Carbohydrate on Glucose Homeostasis and Weight Management in Subjects With Prediabetes), which is not on this map. Cited by 44 papers, 5 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
44citing papers in PubMed, 5 pooled it
4.0field-weighted citation impact, top 5% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

NCT01841073 nacompletednot on this map

Effect of Fermentable Carbohydrate on Glucose Homeostasis and Weight Management in Subjects With Prediabetes

TypeinterventionalSponsorImperial College LondonRan2011 to 2014Enrolled44ConditionsPrediabetesArmsInulin, Cellulose
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

44 citing papers in PubMed, 5 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 88 citations in OpenAlex.

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  16. Polysaccharides and carbohydrate polymers: innovations from nature to industry.Journal of the science of food and agriculture · 2026
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors at 4 institutions in 1 country.

Nicola D GuessNutrition and Dietetic Research Group, Imperial College, London, Hammersmith Hospital, London, W12 0NN UK ; Division of Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism, 6th Floor Commonwealth Building, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College Hammersmith Campus, Du Cane Road, London, W12 ONN UK.
Anne DornhorstDivision of Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism, Imperial College NHS Trust, London, UK.
Nick OliverDivision of Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism, Imperial College NHS Trust, London, UK.
Jimmy D BellDepartment of Life Sciences, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Westminster, London, W1W 6UW UK.
E Louise ThomasDepartment of Life Sciences, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Westminster, London, W1W 6UW UK.
Gary S FrostNutrition and Dietetic Research Group, Imperial College, London, Hammersmith Hospital, London, W12 0NN UK.
Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust · GBUniversity of Westminster · GBHammersmith Hospital · GBImperial College London · GB

Funding

Medical Research Council MC_U120061305
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundFat infiltration of the liver, muscle and pancreas is associated with insulin resistance and risk of diabetes. Weight loss reduces ectopic fat deposition and risk of diabetes, but is difficult to sustain to due to compensatory increases in appetite. Fermentable carbohydrates have been shown to decrease appetite and food intake, and promote weight loss in overweight subjects. In animal studies, fermentable carbohydrate reduces ectopic fat independent of weight loss. We aimed to investigate the effect of the fermentable carbohydrate inulin on weight maintenance, appetite and ectopic fat in subjects with prediabetes.

methodsForty-four subjects with prediabetes were randomized to 18 weeks' inulin or cellulose supplementation. During weeks 1-9 (weight loss phase) all subjects had four visits with a dietitian to guide them towards a 5 % weight loss. During weeks 10-18 (weight maintenance phase) subjects continued taking their assigned supplementation and were asked to maintain the weight they had lost but were offered no further support. All subjects attended study sessions at baseline, 9 and 18 weeks for measurement of weight; assessment of adipose tissue and ectopic fat content by magnetic resonance imaging and magnetic resonance spectroscopy; glucose, insulin and GLP-1 levels following a meal tolerance test; and appetite by ad libitum meal test and visual analogue scales.

resultsBoth groups lost approximately 5 % of their body weight by week nine (-5.3 ± 0.1 % vs -4.3 ± 0.4 %, p = 0.13, but the inulin group lost significantly more weight between 9 and 18 weeks (-2.3 ± 0.5 % vs -0.6 ± 0.4 %, p = 0.012). Subjects taking inulin had lower hepatic (p = 0.02) and soleus muscle (p < 0.05) fat content at 18 weeks compared to control even after controlling for weight loss and consumed less at the ad libitum meal test (p = 0.027). Fasting glucose significantly decreased at week nine only (p = 0.005), insulin concentrations did not change, and there was a significant increase in GLP-1 in the cellulose group at 9 and 18 weeks (p < 0.03, p < 0.00001).

conclusionInulin may have a two-pronged effect on the risk of diabetes by 1) promoting weight loss 2) reducing intrahepatocellular and intramyocellular lipid in people with prediabetes independent of weight loss.

trial registrationCLINICAL TRIAL NUMBER: NCT01841073.

Indexed as

AppetiteCarbohydrateDiabetes preventionDiabetes riskFibreIntrahepatocellular lipidIntramyocellular lipidWeight management

Identifiers

PMID26500686
PMCPMC4619305
OpenAlexW2123775426

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.