Spent coffee (Coffea arabica L.) grounds promote satiety and attenuate energy intake: A pilot study

We evaluated the effects of acute intake of biscuits (B) containing either spent coffee grounds (SCG), (added with fructooligosaccharides; SC-FOS) or SCG antioxidant dietary fiber (SCF), on satiety, energy intake as well as gastrointestinal tolerance of healthy overweight volunteers. The addition of SCG and SCF to the biscuits (SC-FOS-B and SCF-B) increased their protein (11.4% and 12.2%), and total dietary fiber (8.4% and 11.8%) contents. The SCF-B significantly increased satiety perception, impacting ad libitum energy intake compared to the traditional biscuits recipe (TB; no added fiber). Moreover, SC-FOS-B and SCF-B decreased (no-observed-adverse effect) the most frequently reported symptoms by the participants, demonstrating that doses up to 5 g of SCF (per biscuit portion; 45 g) are well tolerated. The use of SCF and SCG as functional ingredients represents a sustainable strategy for the coffee industry and also potentiates the reduction of overweight, one of the leading health problems among the population. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: The addition of SCF or SCG as food ingredients increases protein and the dietary fiber content of traditional biscuits. SCF can slow gastric emptying, modulate appetite and thus body weight. SCF attenuates carbohydrate digestion blunting post-prandial blood glucose spikes reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes. SCF can be used as a functional ingredient to formulate foods with health benefits.