Wheat gluten and inulin in rye porridge for appetite
What it found
Adding wheat gluten and inulin to rye porridge did not make it more filling than plain rye porridge in healthy adults.
The rye porridge itself reduced hunger and lowered blood sugar after lunch compared with wheat bread.
What they found
Studies in people
Appetite before lunch
The 55 g rye porridges lowered hunger by 20% and desire to eat by 22%, and increased fullness by 29%, compared with wheat bread. These effects were seen before lunch.
No extra satiety from gluten
Replacing part of the rye with inulin and wheat gluten did not increase fullness or reduce hunger any more than plain rye porridge. The 40 g rye porridge without additions was no different from wheat bread for appetite.
Gut fermentation
Breath hydrogen rose in proportion to the fibre content of the meals. The 55 g rye porridges led to about three times higher breath hydrogen than wheat bread.
Blood sugar after lunch
Blood sugar after lunch was 6% lower after the 55 g rye porridges compared with wheat bread. This lower blood sugar was linked to higher breath hydrogen.
Insulin and GLP-1
No differences were seen in insulin or GLP-1 between any of the breakfast meals.
Food intake at dinner
How much people ate at an unlimited dinner 8 hours later did not differ between the breakfast meals.
What the authors conclude
“We conclude that no further increase in satiety was observed when replacing part of the rye with inulin and gluten compared with plain rye porridges.”
Also in their conclusions
- They conclude that no further increase in satiety was observed when replacing part of the rye with inulin and wheat gluten compared with plain rye porridges.
- They say that whole-grain rye porridge leads to a dose-dependent increase in gut fermentation and lower blood sugar after a second meal, but without a corresponding reduction in insulin and GLP-1.
- They call for further studies to establish causality between appetite, gut fermentation and hormonal responses.
How it was done
Whole-grain rye foods reduce appetite, insulin and sometimes glucose responses. The authors wanted to see if these effects could be boosted by replacing part of the rye with fermented fibre and plant protein.
Twenty-one healthy men and women, aged 23 to 60, ate six different breakfast meals in random order, each at least 5 days apart. The meals were five rye porridges (two plain, three with added inulin and wheat gluten) and a refined wheat bread control. Appetite, breath gases, blood sugar, insulin and GLP-1 were measured over 8 hours.
What it can’t tell you
- This was a single breakfast study in 21 healthy adults. It cannot show what happens with long-term consumption.
- The meals were mixed, so the effects of individual ingredients like wheat gluten cannot be separated from the whole meal.
- The study did not measure short-chain fatty acids, so it cannot confirm that the breath hydrogen increases reflected higher production of these compounds.
Who paid
- Authors work at
- Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Sweden; Uppsala University, Sweden
The paper
- Title
- Effects of whole-grain rye porridge with added inulin and wheat gluten on appetite, gut fermentation and postprandial glucose metabolism: a randomised, cross-over, breakfast study
- Type
- Randomised controlled trial
- Evidence
- Studies in people
- Summarised from
- Full text
- Cite
- Lee I, Shi L, Webb DL, Hellström PM, Risérus U, Landberg R (2016). Effects of whole-grain rye porridge with added inulin and wheat gluten on appetite, gut fermentation and postprandial glucose metabolism: a randomised, cross-over, breakfast study. The British journal of nutrition. doi:10.1017/S0007114516004153Free full textPubMed 28069076DOI
Summary written 26 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error