Inventors:
Stacey J. Bell - Belmont MA
R. Armour Forse - Brookline MA
Bruce R. Bistrian - Ipswich MA
Assignee:
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center - Boston MA
International Classification:
A61K 31355, A61K 31435, A61K 314415, A61K 31495
Abstract:
Yeast-derived fiber has been demonstrated, as described herein, to effectively improve the serum lipid profile in humans, when provided as a dietary supplement, without some of the disadvantages known to accompany dietary supplementation with oat fiber or psyllium fiber. Described herein are dietary supplements comprising yeast fiber, e. g. ,. beta. -glucan or glucomannan, and further comprising folic acid or a salt thereof, vitamin B. sub. 6, vitamin B. sub. 12, and vitamin E. The dietary supplements of the invention can further comprise fats, carbohydrates and proteins, for example, and other ingredients added to formulate a food product. Such food products can be in the form, for example, of solid or semi-solid foods, such as food bars, pudding, or spreads. By including folate and vitamin B. sub. 6, the dietary supplement provides a second benefit of suppressing the level of homocysteine in the blood.