can flaxseed help satisfy appetite in women subjected to bariatric surgery?

Background: Bariatric surgery is considered the most effective immediate weight loss method for the morbidly obese, despite widely reported weight regain after a few years. Appetite, satiety and satiation control are essential to maintaining a long-term result post-surgery. Dietary fatty acids composition may be implicated in the satiety. As flaxseed is a food high in linolenic acid, we aimed to verify the influence of flaxseed fat on appetite and satiety of women after bariatric surgery.

Material and methods: Six women who underwent bariatric surgery at least 2 years before participated in a single-blind crossover trial that compared the effect of two isocaloric meals on satiety, one containing whole golden flaxseed (high in polyunsaturated fatty acids and fiber) (G1) and another withdefatted flaxseed (high in fiber) (G2), with one week of washout period. This variable was estimated by visual analogue scales in both meals at baseline (T0), immediately after ingestion (T1) and 60, 120, and 180 minutes after the meal (T60, T120 and T180). Fasting anthropometric, body composition, laboratory tests (glucose and lipids) and dietary variables, were evaluated while fasting.

Results: The volunteers were obese and had excess central adiposity, even after two years of surgery and still showed habitual fibre intake below recommended levels. G1 had reduced hunger after 180 minutes compared to G2 (P=.046). Other parameters related to appetite and satiety did not differ between groups.

Conclusions: Less hunger was observed after 180 minutes in whole golden flaxseed meal compared with the defatted flaxseed meal, indicating that the whole golden flaxseed meal, possibly, supports obesity treatment in the long-term after bariatric surgery by controlling appetite and satiety sensations.