Coffee mannooligosaccharides, consumed as part of a free-living, weight-maintaining diet, increase the proportional reduction in body volume in overweight men.
Level 2 - randomized trial
Individual double-blind randomized placebo-controlled trial
PubMed 20861211 · doi:10.3945/jn.110.128207
What was done
A double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial investigated the effect of coffee mannooligosaccharides (MOS) on body composition within a free-living, weight-maintaining diet. Fifty-four men and women aged 19–65 years with a BMI of 27–33 kg/m² were assigned to consume beverages twice daily for 12 weeks containing either 4 g/day of MOS or a placebo. Body composition was measured at baseline and endpoint via magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Body weight, blood pressure, appetite, and satiety were assessed weekly. Fifty participants completed both MRI scans.
What was found
A significant beverage × time interaction was observed in men for total body volume (P = 0.026), total adipose tissue (P = 0.046), and total subcutaneous adipose tissue (P = 0.032), but no significant interaction was detected in women. Men receiving MOS had a significantly greater percent change in total body volume compared to placebo (P = 0.043), with non-significant trends toward greater percent changes in subcutaneous adipose tissue (P = 0.069) and total adipose tissue (P = 0.098). The abstract reports no numerical means, absolute volumes, or results for body weight, blood pressure, or appetite ratings.
Why it matters
This study provides preliminary evidence that coffee MOS may influence body composition and adipose distribution in overweight men without structured calorie restriction.
Limits
The total sample size was small (54 enrolled, 50 completed), resulting in low statistical power when split by sex. The abstract does not provide numerical values or confidence intervals for the primary outcomes and does not report findings on weight, blood pressure, or appetite.