Pea fiber lowers fasting and postprandial blood triglyceride concentrations in humans

The effect of a pea cell wall fiber preparation with a high content of soluble fiber on fasting and postprandial blood lipids was investigated in young healthy subjects. Inclusion of 33 g pea fiber product/10 MJ (20 g dietary fiber) in a low fiber diet was tested in five men and six women (mean age 23 y) in a strictly controlled randomized cross-over intervention study over 2 wk separated by a 2-wk period of habitual diet consumption. No significant differences in fasting concentrations of total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol or HDL cholesterol were observed, whereas total and VLDL triglyceride concentrations were lower when subjects consumed the pea fiber diet compared with the low fiber diet (P < 0.05). Postprandial response to pea fiber was studied in eight men. Addition of 12 g pea fiber product/ 10 MJ to a breakfast meal and 15 g/10 MJ to the following lunch meal resulted in significantly lower total triglyceride (P = 0.01), chylomicron triglyceride (P = 0.03) and insulin (P = 0.003) concentrations after the lunch meal compared with results following the same meal without pea fiber. No differences were observed in glycemic response. In conclusion, this source of dietary fiber lowered fasting and postprandial triglyceride concentrations but did not change fasting cholesterol concentrations.