Abstract
BackgroundTrehalose is a natural disaccharide that is widely distributed. A previous study has shown that daily consumption of 10 g of trehalose improves glucose tolerance in individuals with signs of metabolic syndrome. In the present study, we determined whether a lower dose (3.3 g/day) of trehalose improves glucose tolerance in healthy Japanese volunteers.MethodsThis was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of healthy Japanese participants (n = 50). Each consumed 3.3 g of trehalose (n = 25) or sucrose (n = 25) daily for 78 days. Their body compositions were assessed following 0, 4, 8, and 12 weeks; and serum biochemical parameters were assayed and oral 75-g glucose tolerance tests were performed at baseline and after 12 weeks.ResultsThere were similar changes in body composition and serum biochemistry consistent with established seasonal variations in both groups, but there were no differences in any of these parameters between the two groups. However, whereas after 12 weeks of sucrose consumption, the plasma glucose concentration 2 h after a 75-g glucose load was significantly higher than the fasting concentration, after 12 weeks of trehalose consumption the fasting and 2-h plasma glucose concentrations were similar. Furthermore, an analysis of the participants with relatively high postprandial blood glucose showed that the plasma glucose concentration 2 h after a 75-g glucose load was significantly lower in the trehalose group than in the sucrose group.ConclusionsOur findings suggest that trehalose helps lower postprandial blood glucose in healthy humans with higher postprandial glucose levels within the normal range, and may therefore contribute to the prevention of pathologies that are predisposed to by postprandial hyperglycemia,, even if the daily intake of trehalose is only 3.3 g, an amount that is easily incorporated into a meal.Trial registrationUMIN, UMIN000033536. Registered 27 July 2018.
Highlights
Trehalose is a natural disaccharide that is widely distributed
With relevance to metabolic syndrome, we have previously reported that trehalose suppresses visceral adipocyte hypertrophy and ameliorates insulin resistance in mice fed a high-fat diet (HFD) [4, 5]
The 2-h 2-h plasma glucose during an OGTT (PG) and Homeostasis model assessment-insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) homeostasis model assessment-insulin resistance; HOMA-β homeostasis model assessment-beta cell function; AST aspartate transaminase; ALT alanine transaminase; γ-GTP gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase; TG triglyceride; Plasminogen activator-inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) plasminogen activator-inhibitor-1; HMW adiponectin high-molecular weight adiponectin Data are expressed as mean ± SD (n = 25)
Summary
A previous study has shown that daily consumption of 10 g of trehalose improves glucose tolerance in individuals with signs of metabolic syndrome. We determined whether a lower dose (3.3 g/day) of trehalose improves glucose tolerance in healthy Japanese volunteers. Trehalose is a non-reducing disaccharide composed of two α-glucose molecules that are linked by α 1,1glycosidic bond. Trehalose is widely distributed, being found in beans, seaweeds, mushrooms, and yeasts, and has been consumed for millennia [1, 2]. It has low sweetness, a clean finish, and excellent physical properties, including an anti-aging effect on starch and protein stabilization [1]. High 2-h plasma glucose concentrations during OGTT (2h PG) have been shown to be a reliable predictor of incident coronary heart disease and cardiovascular mortality [10] in cohort studies, such as the DECODE [11] and DECODA [12] studies
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