Dietary fibre and obesity: the key role of the pharmacist

It is widely recognised by researchers thata high-fibre diet protects against obesity and diabetes. However, the mechanisms involved had remained mysterious for almost two decades. In 2014, a Franco-Swedish team of researchers from CNRS, Inserm and Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1 (Inserm Unit 855 “Nutrition and the Brain”) elucidated this mechanism, which involves the intestinal flora and the gut’s ability to produce glucose between meals. In this article, we look at the role of the pharmacist in helping overweight and obese patients, and how dietary fibre can help manage these problems.

Dietary fibre: a natural solution to obesity

How does fibre help combat obesity?

Dietary fibre reduces the feeling of hunger, thanks in particular to the glucose released by bacteria in the intestine. Fibre is transformed in the intestine by bacteria (because it cannot be digested). These bacteria release glucose, which sends a satiety signal to the nervous system.

Encouraging patients to eat more fibre

As a pharmacist, you can help your patients who are overweight or obese, or those who want to maintain a healthy weight, by encouraging them to include more fibre in their diet. Explain to them the benefits of fibre and how it can help to regulate their appetite and lose weight.

Support for overweight or obese patients

Obesity and metabolic syndrome are health problems of growing concern, particularly because of their link with disorders of the intestinal microbiota. Modern eating habits, particularly the consumption of processed and low-fibre foods, are often singled out as contributing factors to these health problems. In this context, pharmacists play a crucial role in supporting overweight and obese patients.

Impact of high-fat diets on the intestinal microbiota

Research has shown that a high-fat diet harms the intestinal microbiota. It reduces the production of epithelial cells, the cells that line the intestine, and encourages the invasion of intestinal epithelial cells by bacteria present in the intestine.

Fermentable inulin, a solution for restoring intestinal health

A study has revealed that fermentable inulin restores intestinal health and protects mice against metabolic syndrome induced by a high-fat diet.

This compound acts by restoring levels of intestinal microbiota, increasing the production of intestinal epithelial cells and restoring the expression of the protein interleukin-22 (IL-22), which prevents the intestinal microbiota from invading the epithelial cells. This discovery could have major implications for the treatment of overweight or obese patients.

The role of the pharmacist in the management of overweight and obese patients

As an accessible and competent healthcare professional, pharmacists are ideally placed to support overweight and obese patients. They can advise and guide patients towards appropriate solutions to improve their intestinal health and quality of life. Pharmacists can :

Nutritional education and advice

Pharmacists can inform patients about the importance of a balanced diet rich in fibre in maintaining intestinal health and combating obesity. They can also advise them on which foods to choose and which to avoid to help maintain a healthy balance in the intestinal microbiota.

Food supplement recommendations

Pharmacists can recommend food supplements, such as fermentable inulin, which can help restore the intestinal microbiota and improve the health of overweight or obese patients.

Personalised follow-up and support

Pharmacists can provide regular monitoring of patients, encouraging them in their efforts to adopt better eating habits and supporting them in managing their weight. This personalised follow-up means that advice and recommendations can be tailored to each patient’s changing situation, optimising health outcomes.

Working with other healthcare professionals

Pharmacists can work closely with other healthcare professionals, such as doctors, nutritionists and dieticians, to provide comprehensive, coordinated care for overweight or obese patients. This multidisciplinary approach makes it possible to implement appropriate and effective therapeutic strategies to combat obesity and its complications.

Your online pharmacist, a key player in the fight against obesity

Pharmacists play an essential role in helping overweight and obese patients. Thanks to their knowledge of nutrition, intestinal microbiota and food supplements, pharmacists can offer practical, personalised solutions to help these patients improve their health and quality of life. By collaborating with other health professionals and providing attentive, sustained follow-up, pharmacists are actively contributing to the fight against obesity and its consequences for public health.

Source: study press release. Reference: Cell Host & Microbe (DOI: 10.1016/j.chom.2017.11.003). 25 January 2018. To find out more, read the full article on the Creapharma.ch website.