Metabolic benefits of dietary prebiotics in human subjects: a systematic review of randomised controlled trials
Open accessAbstract
Complex relationships exist between the gut microflora and their human hosts. Emerging evidence suggests that bacterial dysbiosis within the colon may be involved in the pathogenesis of the metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes and CVD. The use of dietary prebiotic supplements to restore an optimal balance of intestinal flora may positively affect host metabolism, representing a potential treatment strategy for individuals with cardiometabolic disorders. The present review aimed to examine the current evidence supporting that dietary prebiotic supplementation in adults has beneficial effects on biochemical parameters associated with the development of metabolic abnormalities including obesity, glucose intolerance, dyslipidaemia, hepatic steatosis and low-grade chronic inflammation. Between January 2000 and September 2013, eight computer databases were searched for randomised controlled trials published in English. Human trials were included if at least one group received a dietary prebiotic intervention. In the present review, twenty-six randomised controlled trials involving 831 participants were included. Evidence indicated that dietary prebiotic supplementation increased self-reported feelings of satiety in healthy adults (standardised mean difference − 0·57, 95 % CI − 1·13, − 0·01). Prebiotic supplementation also significantly reduced postprandial glucose ( − 0·76, 95 % CI − 1·41, − 0·12) and insulin ( − 0·77, 95 % CI − 1·50, − 0·04) concentrations. The effects of dietary prebiotics on total energy intake, body weight, peptide YY and glucagon-like peptide-1 concentrations, gastric emptying times, insulin sensitivity, lipids, inflammatory markers and immune function were contradictory. Dietary prebiotic consumption was found to be associated with subjective improvements in satiety and reductions in postprandial glucose and insulin concentrations. Additional evidence is required before recommending prebiotic supplements to individuals with metabolic abnormalities. Large-scale trials of longer duration evaluating gut microbial growth and activity are required.
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Prebiotic fiber improves cardiometabolic risk factors.
“However, these products dually lack the addition of prebiotic fiber-which improves cardiometabolic risk factors (14,15), and include non-nutritive synthetic sweeteners-which are contraindicated for weight management and chronic disease risk (16).”
From Prebiotic soda lowers postprandial glucose compared to traditional soda pop: a randomized controlled trial (2025) · cites this paper as [14]
The Abstract and the section on glucose intolerance report reductions in postprandial glucose and insulin after prebiotic supplementation. But the Abstract says findings for other cardiometabolic measures, including body weight, insulin sensitivity and lipids, were contradictory. The unqualified claim that prebiotic fiber improves cardiometabolic risk factors is therefore broader than the review supports. (LLM, conf=0.88)
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- Authors
- Kellow, N. J., Coughlan, M. T., & Reid, C. M.
- Affiliations
- Monash University (AU)
- Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute (AU)
- Corresponding author
- Kellow, Nicole J.
- Venue
- British Journal of Nutrition
- Publisher
- Cambridge University Press (CUP)
- Published
- 2013-11-13
- Volume
- 111
- Issue
- 7
- Pages
- 1147-1161
- ISSN
- 0007-1145 (ISSN-L)
- 1475-2662
- OpenAlex
- W2136653243
- Cited by
- 307
- References
- 11
- Citations by year
- 2026: 16 · 2025: 21 · 2024: 17 · 2023: 20 · 2022: 26 · 2021: 24 · 2020: 29 · 2019: 33 · 2018: 26 · 2017: 30 · 2016: 21 · 2015: 33 · 2014: 10
- FWCI
- 2.41
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Locations
- British Journal Of Nutrition (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- eSpace (Curtin University) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- Medical Research Council
- National Health and Medical Research Council (1039709)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Nursing › Nutrition and Dietetics › Microbial Metabolites in Food Biotechnology
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Gut microbiota and health
- Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Food Science › Probiotics and Fermented Foods
- Keywords
- dietary prebiotics, prebiotic supplementation, gut microbiota, metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, obesity, impaired glucose tolerance, postprandial blood glucose, insulin, satiety, dyslipidemia, hepatic steatosis, low-grade inflammation, cardiometabolic disease, insulin sensitivity, peptide YY, glucagon-like peptide-1, gastric emptying
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Animals, Health Promotion, Humans, Hyperglycemia, Hyperinsulinism, Intestines, Satiety Response, Reproducibility of Results, Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic, Postprandial Period, Prebiotics
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