Effect of Arabinoxylan Oligosaccharides Consumption on Insulin Resistance in Patients With Metabolic Syndrome

Inclusion Criteria: * Age between 18 and 65 years * Regular diet (3 meals/day on at least 5 days/week) * Central obese (defined as waist circumference ≥ 94cm for Europid men and ≥ 80cm for Europid women, with ethnicity specific values for other groups) * Insulin resistant: HOMA-IR \> 1.7 or fasting glucose \> 100mg/dL * And one of the following three factors: * Elevated TG level: ≥ 150 mg/dL (1.7 mmol/L) * Decreased HDL cholesterol level: \< 40 mg/dL (1.03 mmol/L\*) in males and \< 50 mg/dL (1.29 mmol/L\*) in females * Elevated blood pressure (BP): systolic BP ≥ 130 or diastolic BP ≥ 85 mm Hg Exclusion Criteria: * Low calorie diet or other special diet during the study or during the last month prior to the study * Serious chronic disease of the gastrointestinal tract, such as inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis), irritable bowel syndrome, chronic constipation (less than 3 bowel movements a week), chronic frequent diarrhoea (more than 3 stools a day), clinically relevant lactose intolerance, … * Use of antibiotics during the last month before starting the study * Abdominal surgery in the past (except from appendectomy) * Use of medication that affects the gastro-intestinal tract during the last 2 weeks prior to the study including spasmolytics, anti-diarrhoea medication, anti-constipation medication, and/or pre- or probiotic supplements (e.g. lacteol, Enterol) * Pregnancy, pregnancy desire or lactation * Diabetes (type 1 or 2), i.e. HbA1c \> 6.5 % * Abnormal haemoglobin (Hb) levels in blood, men must have an Hb level between 14.0 and 18.0 g / dL and women between 12.0 and 16.0 g / dL.