Fiber-Rich Foods Improve Chronic Disease, Could Lead to Pharmaceutical Interventions

Fiber-rich foods, including fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes, have shown improvements in health and reduction of chronic diseases such as obesity, according to a study published in Frontiers in Nutrition. Obesity has been established as a chronic disease associated with comorbidities, including diabetes, cardiovascular disease, metabolic syndrome, and cancer. The cause of obesity has previously been “considered an imbalance between caloric intake and energy expended,” according to authors of a study published in Biomedicine and Pharmacotherapy.^1,2

Fiber Foods, GLP-1, Obesity, Pharmaceutical Intervention, Medication | Image Credit: © airborne77 | stock.adobe.com

However, obesity has now been associated with more complex biological and psychosocial factors, with weight loss associated with reductions in blood glucose and other biomarkers of cardiovascular disease. While lifestyle changes and dietary improvements have impacted obesity, there has also been evidence of successful pharmacotherapy interventions regarding weight loss, especially in conjunction with lifestyle interventions like exercise and diet.²

According to the current study, “The growing prevalence of obesity is associated with numerous health issues that not only affect individual quality of life but also place considerable demands on the health care system.” Fiber intake can help to promote satiety and regulate appetite while being low in calories. The potential mechanisms of action can include improving insulin sensitivity, regulating lipid levels, and absorbing cholesterol from food during digestion. Diets that are high in protein and fiber can promote weight management and enhance metabolism, according to the author. Furthermore, other research included in the study show a link between the development of obesity and the characteristic of the gut microbiome, showing that individuals with obesity have unique gut microbiomes when compared to those with a lower weight.¹

The author states that better understanding the interaction of the gut microbiota and obesity can help when creating new dietary and therapeutic strategies aimed at microbiome balancing and weight loss. The diverse gut bacteria seen for individuals with obesity could diminish the gut’s ability to metabolize fibers and can contribute to inflammation and insulin resistance.¹

In a study from 2021 published in International Journal of Molecular Sciences, diet and exercising has shown improvements in disease states, but the body’s ability to influence the efficacy and toxicities of certain drug, directly related to pharmacokinetic mechanisms. The amount, composition, and time of a meal can alter the pharmacokinetic effects of the drug in multiple ways, including drug–food interactions, physiology reactions, gastrointestinal motility, bile acid secretion, or biochemical mechanisms, according to the authors. Body mass can impact absorption, distribution, and metabolism of medication, and there have been suggestions to adjust therapies for people with obesity, but specific recommendations are lacking. The authors stated that absorption after oral administration did not have significant changes, but subcutaneous and intramuscular methods could be impacted.³

In the current study, investigators state that ongoing research regarding the gut microbiome specifically are needed in order to better understand dietary changes and the effect on obesity. Additionally, in the 2021 study published in Biomedicine and Pharmacotherapy, the combination of diet and pharmaceutical interventions for obesity have shown that a high level of adherence is essential to achieve weight loss and maintain it. This study also suggests a diet high in fibers; however, in Western populations the average intake of dietary fibers is approximately 15 g/day when the health-based recommendations are 38 to 36 g/day.^1,2

Furthermore, pharmaceutical interventions can be essential in addressing other health conditions as well as presenting benefits for obesity, such as glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) medications, naltrexone and bupropion for intense food cravings as well as those who struggle with addiction, and metformin, which has been reported as an enhancer for GLP-1 medication.³ More research into specific diet and pharmaceutical interventions could help to expand the effectiveness of the treatments on obesity.

REFERENCES

1. Alahmari LA. Dietary fiber influence on overall health, with an emphasis on CVD, diabetes, obesity, colon cancer, and inflammation. Front Nutr. 2024;11:1510564. Published 2024 Dec 13. doi:10.3389/fnut.2024.1510564

2. Aaseth J, Ellefsen S, Alehagen U, Sundfør TM, Alexander J. Diets and drugs for weight loss and health in obesity - An update. Biomed Pharmacother. 2021;140:111789. doi:10.1016/j.biopha.2021.111789

3. Niederberger E, Parnham MJ. The Impact of Diet and Exercise on Drug Responses. Int J Mol Sci. 2021;22(14):7692. Published 2021 Jul 19. doi:10.3390/ijms22147692