The effect of a novel viscous polysaccharide along with lifestyle changes on short-term weight loss and associated risk factors in overweight and obese adults: an observational retrospective clinical program analysis.

Background: Viscous soluble dietary fiber has been demonstrated to reduce postprandial glycemia and may promote satiety. PolyGlycopleX (PGX) is a highly viscous polysaccharide manufactured by reacting glucomannan with other soluble polysaccharides using a proprietary process (EnviroSimplex). The resulting polysaccharide (alpha-D-glucurono-alpha-D-manno-beta-D-manno-beta-D-glucan, alpha-L-gulurono-beta-D-mannuronan, beta-D-gluco-beta-D-mannan, alpha-D-glucurono-alpha-D-manno-beta-D-manno-beta-D-gluco, alpha-L-gulurono-beta-D-mannurono, beta-D-gluco-beta-D-mannan) is a novel entity with the highest viscosity and water-holding capacity of currently known fibers.

Materials and methods: A total of 29 sedentary overweight or obese adults (23 women; six men), ages 20-65 with a body mass index (BMI) range of 25 kg/m(2) to 36 kg/m(2) participated in a clinical weight-loss program. PGX (5 g) was consumed with 500 mL water, 5-10 minutes before each meal, 2-3 times daily for 14 weeks.

Results: Significant reductions were observed (p less than 0.05) in weight (-5.79 +/- 3.55 kg), waist circumference (-12.07 +/- 5.56 cm), and percentage body fat (-2.43 +/- 2.39 percent) compared to baseline values. In addition, subjects employing PGX had a significant reduction of 19.26 percent (n=17; p less than 0.05) and 25.51 percent (n=16; p less than 0.05) in total and LDL plasma cholesterol values, respectively, at the end of the study period.

Conclusion: The consumption of PGX in concert with lifestyle modifications may be a useful strategy for weight loss in overweight and obese individuals.