Heart-risk protein unaltered by daily psyllium

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Daily fiber supplementation with psyllium does not reduce levels of an inflammatory protein connected to heart disease in people who are overweight or obese, new research indicates -- in contrast to previous research that found lower inflammation in people with high fiber intake.

"The current study does not negate those previous studies, but rather, it emphasizes that people are likely to benefit most from fiber ingested as part of a healthy diet, and not as a separate supplement," Dr. Dana E. King told Reuters Health.

In a study lasting 3 months, King and colleagues at the Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston assigned 162 overweight or obese adults without heart disease to take psyllium supplements (7 or 14 grams daily) or no supplements.

Their objective was to see whether daily fiber supplementation would lower blood levels of C-reactive protein or CRP and other markers of inflammation. High CRP levels are a common feature of obesity and have been linked to diabetes, the metabolic syndrome, high blood pressure, and other risk factors for heart disease.

According to a report of the study in the current issue of the Annals of Family Medicine, changes in CRP levels or the other markers of inflammation were no different between the group that got psyllium fiber supplements and the no-supplement comparison group.

This suggests, King and colleagues note, that "fiber supplementation with psyllium does not replicate the results seen with a diet naturally high in fiber."

It may be worthwhile to conduct additional studies with other types of fiber or with combinations of nutrients, the investigators conclude.

SOURCE: Annals of Family Medicine, March/April 2008.