New study questions effectiveness of novel ingredient for preventing weight gain

A new trial questions the effectiveness of inulin-propionate ester (IPE), a novel food ingredient, in preventing weight gain among younger adults.

"Its impact on overall weight management appears limited, warranting further research into age-specific interventions for obesity prevention.” Professor Gary Frost

The 12-month randomised trial, funded by NIHR EME programme, from Imperial College London and University of Glasgow and published in Lancet eClinicalMedicine, has cast doubt on the effectiveness of increasing colonic propionate production to prevent weight gain in younger adults. The study, titled iPREVENT, involved 270 participants aged 20 to 40, divided into groups consuming either Inulin-propionate ester (IPE) or inulin (control).

IPE, a novel food ingredient previously shown to help middle-aged adults manage weight, was expected to reduce weight gain by promoting short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) propionate production. However, the trial revealed no significant difference in weight gain between the IPE and control groups after 12 months.

The IPE group saw a slight increase in fat-free mass (1.07 kg vs. 0.21 kg) but no reduction in fat mass or body weight. Blood glucose levels also rose marginally in the IPE group, though within normal ranges.

Speaking about the study results, Professor Gary Frost, Head of the Section of Nutrition in the Department of Metabolism, Digestion and Reproduction and last author of the research, said: “These findings highlight the complexity of weight gain prevention, particularly in younger adults, where behaviours and energy intake differ from older populations. While IPE demonstrated benefits for body composition, its impact on overall weight management appears limited, warranting further research into age-specific interventions for obesity prevention.”  

Previous studies had shown that older people could benefit significantly in terms of weight maintenance from adding IPE supplements to their diets. The current results in younger adults opens up new questions around differences in response between  young and older adult.

Professor Duglas Morrison, from the Scottish Universities Environmental Research Centre, University of Glasgow, added “Preventing weight gain in early life can have significant health benefits later in life – it’s better to maintain a healthy weight throughout life than to try to lose weight as an older adult, although reaching a healthy weight at any age is beneficial.

"Our previous studies had shown that older people could benefit significantly from adding IPE supplements to their diets, and we were keen to explore in this study whether the results would be similar in younger people. Increasing fat-free mass is an interesting and unexpected result which may warrant further study, because building muscle can help improve metabolic health."

This research was supported by funding from the Medical Research Council and NIHR.

‘Increase in colonic PRopionate as a method of prEVENTing weight gain over 12 months in adults aged 20–40 years (iPREVENT): a multi-centre, double-blind, randomised, parallel-group trial’. Jennifer E. Pugh, Katerina Petropoulou, Joana C. Vasconcelos, Aisha Anjum, George Thom, Louise McCombie, Martina Tashkova, Sumayya Alshehhi, Daphne Babalis, Leah Holroyd, Barzan A. Sadiq, Christina Prechtl, Tom Preston, Edward Chambers, Mike J. Lean, Waljit Dhillo, A. Toby Prevost, Douglas Morrison, Gary Frost. eClinicalMedicine. Volume 76, 2024. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eclinm.2024.102844.