Cereal-based Products Fortified With Legumes and Effects on Body Weight Management

Functional Cereal-based Products Fortified With Legumes for Satiety and Weight Management

Legumes are high nutritional quality foods and constitute a rich source of proteins and dietary fibers which have been associated with appetite regulation and body weight management. The purpose of the study is to investigate the effects of regular consumption of a cereal-based snack fortified with legumes on body weight reduction.

Overweight/obese, non-diabetic subjects will participate in the study. Subjects will follow a 12-week energy-restricted dietary intervention supplemented with a certain amount of a cereal-based snack fortified with legumes daily. The effects of dietary intervention on body weight reduction will be examined.

Inclusion Criteria:

• normal exercise and dietary habits
• weight stable for at least 3 months before enrollment

Exclusion Criteria:

• diabetes
• pregnancy
• chronic medical illness
• use of nutritional supplements
• regular intense exercise
• alcohol consumption > 2 drinks/day