MSc Kaisa Airaksinen investigated in her thesis the effects of supplementary food ingredients on metabolic stress in high-fat-induced preclinical and clinical models and offered dietary solutions to overcome the metabolic stress in obesity. The thesis aimed to study whether the supplementary food ingredients can beneficially affect adipose tissue metabolism and reduce the inflammatory state within the fat tissue. Additionally, the effect of selected food ingredients on the regulation of satiety was also looked at.
The topic is very relevant to this date, since obesity-related metabolic disturbances are a globally increasing health problem. In general, overweight and obesity are associated with increased blood lipid and glucose levels, which are risk factors for type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Low-grade adipose tissue inflammation and perturbations in appetite regulation are typically associated with the obese state.
Airaksinen studied the metabolic effects of high-fat diet and specific food ingredients by using various experimental models, such as in vitro human adipocyte model, two different diet-induced obese animal models and a human postprandial intervention trial. The results demonstrated that the consumption of betaine, polydextrose and lactitol, may assist in reversing the obesity-related metabolic changes observed after high-fat feeding. Betaine is a naturally occurring organic osmolyte and a methyl donor. Polydextrose and lactitol are indigestible carbohydrates, that have been used in the food industry for several years.
- Betaine was able to alleviate the inflammatory state in adipose tissue and to improve the metabolic flexibility during high-fat feeding. Polydextrose and lactitol influenced positively on the postprandial metabolism and the regulation of satiety. Polydextrose also reduced the sensation of hunger. These effects may have practical meaning in the development of suitable food components to support metabolic health, says Airaksinen.
High-fat diets are commonly considered unhealthy and the consumption of excess fat will lead to weight gain and obesity-related disadvantages. To study weight management and health-promoting food ingredients, there is a need to develop and utilize relevant preclinical models, as well as well-designed clinical studies with suitable study populations. There is also interest towards low-glycemic and satiety-increasing food components for weight management purposes.
The doctoral dissertation of MSc Kaisa Airaksinen, entitled Metabolic stress in obesity – The impact of high-fat diet and food ingredients on adipose tissue inflammation and satiety, will be examined at the Faculty of Health Sciences in Kuopio on December 18th, 2020. The Opponent in the public examination will be Associate Professor Eriika Savontaus from the University of Turku, and the Custos will be Professor Marjukka Kolehmainen from the University of Eastern Finland. The public examination will be held in Finnish.
