Aims: Strategies to reduce appetite may provide tools to help people with obesity to manage their body weight. The aim of this systematic review was to summarize the existing systematic reviews with meta-analyses on specific food-based concepts’ potential effects on appetite. 

Methods: A systematic literature search in PubMed identified 141 reviews with 10 meeting the inclusion criteria. A thorough risk of bias assessment was performed based on the critical appraisal tool for systematic reviews, AMSTAR 2. 

Results: Based on the included reviews, the food-based concepts were divided into the following categories: Manipulations of macronutrient content (including fibers) (7 reviews/85 unique studies); Ketogenic diets (1 review/12 studies); Bioactive components (1 review/8 studies); Changes in food structures (1 review/16 studies). The dietary fiber polydextrose, dietary pulses, dairy products, ketogenic diets, the bioactive component capsaiconioids, and manipulation of food structure using vegetable oil formulation (Fabuless™/Olibra®), were found to have the potential to reduce appetite. 

Conclusion: Overall, these concepts resulted in rather moderate, but still potentially meaningful, reductions in appetite. Thereby, new food-based concepts may be effective tools to fill the “therapeutic gap” between traditional body weight management interventions and pharmaceutical or surgical approaches.