Thylakoid supplementation and hunger and fullness perception: a systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

Abstract

Abstract Context It has been suggested that thylakoid supplementation could be associated with favorable changes in appetite. However, the present trials are inconsistent. Objective This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to investigate whether thylakoid supplementation is effective in hunger/fullness changes. Data Sources A comprehensive literature search was performed before conducting a systematic search in PubMed, Scopus, and ISI Web of Sciences databases up to May 2023. Data Extraction Of the 262 articles found, 5 articles that measured hunger fullness expressed as ratings on the visual analog scale (VAS) for appetite analyses were selected and thoroughly examined. Relevant information, such as the authors' names, year of publication, country of origin, study design, number and status of participants, intervention dosage and type, study duration, assay used, and key findings, was extracted from these articles. The Jadad scale was used to evaluate the quality of studies. Data Analysis The data were obtained using STATA version 13 (StataCorp). Effect sizes were reported as weighted mean differences (WMDs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Subgroup analyses were performed to estimate whether the effects of thylakoid supplementation on hunger and fullness varied according to dose, intervention duration, baseline population age and body mass index, baseline hunger and fullness, total sample size, and study quality. Fractional polynomial modeling was carried out to estimate time- and dose-response meta-analysis of the association between thylakoid and satiety and fullness. The meta-analysis also suggests a significant association between the combination of thylakoids with meals and reduced hunger (WMD: –2.415 mm; 95% CI: –3.544, –1.287; P < 0.001) and increased fullness (WMD: +4.602 mm; 95% CI: 2.356, 6.848; P < 0.001). Further analysis showed that thylakoid supplementation with 2 doses of 5 g/day (P = 0.002) and 7.4 g/day (P = 0.021) is more effective in reducing the feeling of hunger during an intervention of less than 56 days (P < 0.001) and with a lower level of hunger (VAS <45 mm, P < 0.001). Furthermore, a significant increase in the perception of fullness was found at a duration of less than 84 days (P < 0.001) and baseline fullness of more than 45 mm (P < 0.001). Conclusions Supplementation with thylakoid shows favorable effects on reducing hunger and increasing fullness during a shorter intervention duration. Further trials are required to shed light on this relationship. Systematic Review Registration PROSPERO registration no. CRD42023432429.