Blood Glucose Relationship to Fasting Blood Lipids, Acylated Ghrelin, and Response to Carbonated and Flavored Beverage Consumption

Abstract

Abstract Objectives The objective was to 1) determine if carbonation, flavor, and sweetness in beverages impact blood glucose response after consumption and 2) to determine if there is a relationship between fasting glucose concentrations, acylated ghrelin, and blood lipid concentrations. Methods Participants (males n = 11, females n = 14) aged 23–65, BMI < 30 kg/m2, and no reported chronic disease participated in a single-blinded randomized crossover design. Participants completed six data collections, arriving four hours fasted and consuming one of six different beverages (water, carbonated-no flavor [CNF], carbonated lime flavor [CL], degassed lime flavor [DL], carbonated lime flavor with aspartame [CLS], and degassed lime flavor with aspartame [DLS]). Blood was collected via finger stick at 0 (baseline), followed by beverage consumption, and then collected at 10 and 45 minutes post consumption into EDTA microtainers. A cholestec machine, ELISA assay, and glucometer were used to measure blood lipids, acylated ghrelin, and blood glucose concentrations, respectively. A repeated measures ANOVA was used to determine differences in glucose response. Spearman rank-order correlation coefficients were used to determine the relationships between variables. Results Blood glucose concentrations did not differ based on beverage, time, or an interaction between the two (P > 0.05). The average blood glucose concentration among beverage and time points was 96.68 + 7.76 mg/dL (mean ± SD). There was no correlation between fasting blood glucose (0 min), acylated ghrelin, or any blood lipid measurements (P > 0.05). There was a correlation between LDL and total cholesterol concentrations (r = .780, P = < 0.0001) and between HDL and LDL concentrations (r = –.417, P = 0.038). Conclusions HDL and LDL were negatively correlated and LDL and total cholesterol were positively correlated in adults with BMI < 30 kg/m2. Carbonation, flavor, and artificially sweetened beverages have limited impact on blood glucose change after beverage consumption. Funding Sources This work was funded by the College of Saint Benedict/Saint John's University Faculty Development Grant and CSB/SJU Undergraduate Research Grant.