Nutritional factors influencing plasma adiponectin levels: results from a randomised controlled study with whole-grain cereals

Abstract

Data from intervention studies about the effects of a high intake of whole-grain cereals on adiponectin expression are still inconclusive. We evaluated the effects of whole-grain or refined cereals on fasting and postprandial serum adiponectin in people at high cardiovascular risk. According to a randomised controlled parallel group design, participants with metabolic syndrome were assigned to an isoenergetic diet based on either whole-grain cereal (WGC) or refined cereal (RC) products for 12-weeks. Anthropometric and biochemical measures were taken. Compared to baseline, fasting and postprandial serum adiponectin levels increased after both RC and WGC. In the WGC and RC groups combined, adiponectin concentrations significantly increased after 12-week intervention, and are directly associated with plasma SCFAs and acetate. Only increasing whole-grain cereals may not influence adiponectin levels, which could be modified by a fibre rich, low-fat, low-glycemic index diet, possibly through changes in gut microbiota, as suggested by the relation with SCFAs.

Clinical Trials number: NCT00945854

Keywords:

• Adiponectin
• whole-grain cereals
• dietary fibre
• postprandial metabolism
• metabolic syndrome
• short-chain fatty acids

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This study was supported by the European Commission in the 6th Framework Programme, Project HEALTHGRAIN [FOOD-CT-2005-514008], and Ministero dell’Istruzione, dell’Università e della Ricerca, Rome, Italy, PRIN n. 2010JC WWKM.