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New Fiber Aims to Make Us Want Less Food
8 Jul
Summary
- New fiber IPE developed to stimulate satiety hormones.
- IPE approved for food products in Europe within a year.
- It aims to help people feel fuller and eat less.
A new innovation in the food industry, inulin-propionate ester (IPE), is poised to enter the European market. Developed by scientists at Imperial College London and the University of Glasgow, this 'supercharged' fiber has received approval from the European Food Safety Authority. Products containing IPE, such as smoothies, cereal bars, and bread, could be available within the next year.
IPE functions by delivering propionate to the large intestine, stimulating satiety hormones like GLP-1 and Peptide YY. This process aims to signal the brain that a person is full, thereby reducing appetite. While not a miracle cure, IPE is intended to help individuals feel more satiated and consume less, potentially aiding in the prevention of gradual weight gain.
The development comes amid rising concerns about obesity and its health consequences, with an estimated 170,000 people expected to die from obesity-related heart conditions by 2035. IPE offers a more efficient way to deliver the appetite-regulating benefits of fiber, with trials using approximately 10g per day.
However, experts caution that the marketing and accessibility of IPE will be crucial. There is a risk that it could become another 'wellness' trend marketed at premium prices, rather than an affordable aid for everyday healthy eating. The long-term impact will depend on whether it is integrated into genuinely beneficial foods or becomes another tool for the food industry to address problems it helped create.
