Assessment of Hormonal and Metabolic Effects of Dietary Fiber in Young Thai Women
Supornpim Chearskul MD*, Navaporn Supingklud MSc*, Anadi Nitithamyong PhD**, Prapaisri Sirichakwal PhD***
Affiliation : * Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University ** Division of Food Science and Technology, Institute of Nutrition, Mahidol University *** Division of Nutrition and Food Science, Institute of Nutrition, Mahidol University
Objective : To investigate whether daily dietary fiber intake at the reference level has any impact on studied
hormones in a population of Thai women.
Materials and Methods : Twenty-eight healthy Thai women (aged 18-20 years, BMI 18.5-25 kg/m2) with a
history of regular menstrual cycles committed themselves to prepared food without changing the usual ratio
of three major macronutrients. Dietary fiber from natural source at the amount of 8-10 g/day equal to their
regular consumption was added to their daily diet for one menstrual cycle, then, increased to be 25-30 g/day
for another 2 successive cycles. A single blood sample on midluteal day (day 18-23) was obtained in all three
cycles. Plasma luteinizing hormone, follicle stimulating hormone, prolactin, estradiol, progesterone, cortisol,
and insulin together with total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein
cholesterol, and triglycerides were analyzed.
Results : The measured hormones and lipids did not change significantly when compared between a control
and two experimental cycles (p > 0.05).
Conclusion : Short-term consumption of 25-30 g/day fiber diet as recommended by the Reference Daily Intake
(RDI) in a Thai population did not alter the studied hormones and lipids thus did not create any health
problems.
Keywords : Dietary fiber, Reference daily intake (RDI), Hormones, Asian women
