Hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) prevents increases in plasma cholesterol and triglycerides, body weight and liver weight gain, liver fat, abdominal fat and other characteristics associated with metabolic diseases in animal models fed high fat, hypercholesterolemic diets.   Like other viscous polysaccharides such as beta-glucan and psyllium, high viscosity HPMC is more bioactive than low viscosity HPMC.  Unlike cereal beta-glucans that promote the same health benefits, HPMC is not hydrolyzed by mammalian digestive enzymes nor fermented by gut bacteria.<br/>In several studies HPMC at 5% of diets containing 20% fat hamsters fed for 3 weeks lowered LDL cholesterol by 50%.  HPMC feeding also decreased insulin resistance as determined by the euglycemic hyperinsulinemic clamp method.  Liver cells show decreased fat vacuoles in HPMC fed animals compared to control.  Addition of HPMC to common fast foods such as pizza and hamburger also resulted in reduction of metabolic syndrome characteristics.  Bile acids, neutral sterols, and lipids increased in feces of animals fed HPMC.  The expression of genes related to fat, cholesterol and bile acid metabolism in liver were also associated with HPMC intake.

Prevention of metabolic diseases by HPMC, a non-fermentable fiber

251st National Meeting (2016)

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