Yellow pea fiber, body fat and energy intake in overweight adults
What it found
Taking 15 g of yellow pea fiber daily for 12 weeks led to small losses in body weight and fat in overweight adults.
The fiber group also ate less at a test meal and had lower blood sugar responses.
What they found
Studies in people
Body weight and fat
The pea fiber group lost 0.87 kg of body weight over 12 weeks, mostly from losing 0.74 kg of body fat. The placebo group gained 0.40 kg.
Energy eaten at lunch
At the follow-up buffet lunch, the pea fiber group ate 16% less energy than before. The placebo group did not change how much they ate.
Blood sugar response
During a sugar tolerance test, blood sugar levels were lower in the pea fiber group at the end of the study. Insulin rose in both groups but increased more in the placebo group, by 38% compared to 10% in the fiber group.
Gut bacteria
Researchers found no differences in gut bacteria between the two groups after 12 weeks.
What the authors conclude
- They suggest that adding 15 g of yellow pea fiber each day may bring small but meaningful metabolic benefits. They say this could help manage obesity even without other lifestyle changes.
How it was done
The authors wanted to see how yellow pea fiber affects body makeup and metabolic markers in overweight or obese adults.
Fifty adults (9 men and 41 women) with an average age of 44 years took part. They ate wafers containing either 15 g of pea fiber or a placebo every day for 12 weeks. Researchers measured body composition, blood sugar responses, food intake at a buffet lunch, and gut bacteria.
What it can’t tell you
- We summarised it from the abstract only.
- This trial lasted only 12 weeks, so it cannot show what happens over longer periods. The group included 9 men and 41 women, so results might differ in a more balanced mix of people.
Who paid
- Funding
- Funded by CIHR (from the PubMed record).
- Authors work at
- University of Calgary, Canada; Mount Royal University, Canada; Food Processing Development Centre, Canada
The paper
- Title
- Consuming yellow pea fiber reduces voluntary energy intake and body fat in overweight/obese adults in a 12-week randomized controlled trial
- Type
- Randomised controlled trial
- Evidence
- Studies in people
- Summarised from
- Abstract only
- Cite
- Lambert JE, Parnell JA, Tunnicliffe JM, Han J, Sturzenegger T, Reimer RA (2017). Consuming yellow pea fiber reduces voluntary energy intake and body fat in overweight/obese adults in a 12-week randomized controlled trial. Clinical nutrition (Edinburgh, Scotland). doi:10.1016/j.clnu.2015.12.016PubMed 26811130DOI
Summary written 30 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error