Hess, Jennifer Rose2011-07-122011-07-122010-05https://hdl.handle.net/11299/109061University of Minnesota M.S. thesis. May 2010. Major: Nutrition. Advisor: Joanne L. Slavin, PHD, RD. 1 computer file (PDF); vii, 75 pages, appendices A-D.Epidemiological studies strongly support the role of fiber in the control of obesity. Fiber is suggested to influence mechanisms of satiety and reduce energy intake. The postabsorptive fermentation of fiber in the large intestine may be linked to the satiating effects observed. The following work focuses on an intervention study using a rapidly fermentable fiber to examine this relationship. In this study we hypothesized that a short chain fructooligosaccharide (scFOS) would increase satiety and decrease energy intake at a subsequent meal with a dosedependent response. Additional aims were to determine its influence on 24-hour energy intake, gastrointestinal (GI) tolerance, and breath hydrogen response. Healthy men and women participated in this randomized double-blind, crossover study. On three separate occasions subjects consumed 0 g, 5 g, or 8 g of scFOS in a beverage and proceeded to use visual analogue scales (VAS) to rate satiety over four hours. Ad libitum energy intake was then assessed. Subjects later consumed a consistent dose in solid form. Energy intake over 24 hours, GI tolerance, and breath hydrogen measures were obtained. Contrary to our hypothesis no significant differences were observed in satiety or energy intakes. As expected, breath hydrogen response indicated significant fermentation within four hours of scFOS ingestion; however, this did not influence tolerance, as GI symptoms did not differ significantly between treatments. This study provides evidence that not all types of fiber significantly influence satiety. The physiological actions of one fiber type may not extend to others. It is important to increase the specificity with which health benefits are assigned to specific fiber types, and to conceptualize fiber as a complex group of substances with diverse actions rather than as a single nutritional entity.en-USNutritionThesis or Dissertation