A Low Glycaemic Index Diet Incorporating Isomaltulose Is Associated with Lower Glycaemic Response and Variability, and Promotes Fat Oxidation in Asians.

Christiani Henry,Rina Quek,Stefan Camps,Bhupinder Kaur

doi:10.3390/nu9050473

Abstract

Low glycaemic index (GI) foods minimize large blood glucose fluctuations and have been advocated to enhance fat oxidation and may contribute to weight management. We determined whether the inclusion of isomaltulose compared to sucrose in a low/high GI meal sequence can modulate the glycaemic response and substrate oxidation in an Asian population. Twenty Chinese men (body mass index (BMI): 17–28 kg/m2) followed a 24 h low GI (isomaltulose, PalatinoseTM) or high GI (sucrose) diet in a randomized double-blind, controlled cross-over design. Treatment meals included dinner (day 1), breakfast, lunch, and snack (day 2). Continuous glucose monitoring provided incremental area under the curve (iAUC) and mean amplitude of glycaemic excursion (MAGE) and 10 h indirect calorimetry (whole body calorimeter) (day 2) provided energy expenditure and substrate oxidation. Our results demonstrated that the low GI diet resulted in lower 24 h glucose iAUC (502.5 ± 231.4 vs. 872.6 ± 493.1 mmol/L; p = 0.002) and lower 24 h glycaemic variability (MAGE: 1.67 ± 0.53 vs. 2.68 ± 1.13 mmol/L; p < 0.001). Simultaneously, 10 h respiratory quotient increased more during high GI (p = 0.014) and fat oxidation was higher after low GI breakfast (p = 0.026), lunch (p < 0.001) and snack (p = 0.013). This indicates that lower GI mixed meals incorporating isomaltulose are able to acutely reduce the glycaemic response and variability and promote fat oxidation.

Highlights

Asia has the unenviable reputation as being the epicenter for type 2 diabetes as the Asian phenotype has been shown to be more susceptible to diabetes than Caucasians [1,2]
Unique to our study was the simultaneous measurement of blood glucose and substrate oxidation using a whole-body calorimeter when subjects were fed low or high glycaemic index (GI) meals modulated as such by including isomaltulose or sucrose
This study demonstrates that including isomaltulose to develop low-GI mixed meals is able to acutely moderate glycaemic response while promoting fat oxidation over carbohydrate oxidation during relative inactivity in Chinese subjects when compared to high

Summary

Introduction

Asia has the unenviable reputation as being the epicenter for type 2 diabetes as the Asian phenotype has been shown to be more susceptible to diabetes than Caucasians [1,2]. There is good evidence to suggest that the consumption of low glycaemic index (GI) foods reduces glycaemic response and minimizes large post-prandial fluctuations in blood glucose levels which can trigger more oxidative stress and are considered a risk factor in the onset for type 2 diabetes and impaired glucose tolerance [4,5,6]. There is increasing interest in the use of low GI foods in the management of type 2 diabetes and obesity [7]. A low GI diet has been advocated by many to reduce glycaemic response and variability and influence appetite control and enhance fat oxidation [6,7,9]. It is hypothesized that this favours extra fat storage and impairs weight control

Methods

Discussion

Conclusion