Ercolini whole grain feces

Whole grains contain numerous physiologically bioactive compounds, a key group being polyphenolic compounds (such as ferulic acid). These compounds were shown to have potent antioxidant activity. Limited evidence exists regarding the bioavailability of the whole grain bioactive compounds and their physiological impact on health outcomes in humans such as the CVD risk, body weight and abdominal circumference. Evidence from animal and few human studies indicated that prebiotic dietary fibre ameliorates metabolic syndrome and controls body weight through reduction of inflammation. This study aims to evaluate the bioavailability WG polyphenols, the effect of WG on body weight, circumferences and composition, and to clarify the underlying mechanisms. A commercial WG product, having prebiotic properties and a high amount of polyphenols bound to dietary fibre, was selected. Eighty healthy overweight subjects will be enrolled. Forty volunteers will be asked to change their habitual diet only replacing equicaloric portions of specific foods with 68 g WG per day for 8 weeks; the other half will include a placebo. At baseline, and after 4 and 8 weeks, measure of body weight, waist and hip circumferences, bioimpedance analysis and blood, urine and feces collection will be performed. Markers linked to antioxidant status (serum ferulic acid, beta-carotene and FRAP), to inflammatory status (several cytokines by multiplexed immunometric assay), to lipid and glucose metabolism as well as to the overall nutritional status and appetite, will be measured.