Dietary fiber and gender: effect on postprandial lipemia

The ability of guar gum and oat bran to alter postprandial lipemia and lipoprotein composition when added to a test meal (42% total calories as carbohydrate, 16% as protein, and 42% as fat) was examined in six males and six females who consumed both low- (0.4 g) and high- (15.4 g) fiber test meals on separate days. After an overnight fast participants consumed the test meal, and blood samples were obtained hourly for 8 h. Plasma glucose concentrations did not increase markedly after either meal in any of the subjects. In males, postprandial triglyceridemia was unaffected by fiber supplementation. In females, postprandial triglyceridemia was greater for the high- than for the low-fiber meal at 2, 3, and 4 h. After both meals triglyceridemia was higher in males than in females, which may be related to the lower ratio of high-density lipoprotein2 (HDL)2 to HDL3 in males vs females. Fiber supplementation and gender influence postprandial glycemia, lipemia, and lipoprotein composition.