Abstract
A whole diet which combines multiple functional foods benefits metabolic risk factors and cognition, but evidence supporting meal to meal benefits, which individuals may find easier to implement, is limited. This study developed a functional food breakfast (FB), using polyphenol-rich ingredients selected for their gluco-regulating and cognitive-enhancing properties, and compared it to a control breakfast (CB). For study 1, total polyphenols were determined using the Folin–Ciocalteu method, and sugar release by in vitro digestion, in frozen and fresh samples. In study 2, healthy adults (n = 16) consumed an FB, CB and ready-to-eat breakfast cereal (RTEC) in a randomised crossover design. Glucose (GR) and insulin response (IR), satiety, mood and memory were measured over 180 min. The FB was a rich source of polyphenols (230 mg) compared to the CB (147 mg) (p < 0.05), and using frozen muffins did not compromise the polyphenol content or sugar release. Peak GR was highest after the RTEC (p < 0.05), and the insulin area under the curve (AUC) was lowest in the FB at 60, 120, 180 min and peak (p < 0.05). There were no effects on GR AUC, mood, satiety or memory. Reductions in GR peak and IR following consumption of the FB support the inclusion of functional ingredients at breakfast.
Highlights
A functional food contains bioactive components which demonstrate health benefits beyond their basic nutritional function [1]
Study 2 is the in vivo study in healthy adults, which assessed the impact of the functional breakfast (FB) on glucose response (GR) and insulin response (IR), satiety, mood and cognitive performance compared with a control breakfast (CB) and a ready-to-eat breakfast cereal (RTEC)
FCR analysis of total polyphenols measured in gallic acid equivalents (GAE) showed significant differences between muffin samples (Welch’s F(3,15.7) = 67.53, p < 0.001, ŋ2 = 0.88)
Summary
A functional food contains bioactive components which demonstrate health benefits beyond their basic nutritional function [1]. Polyphenols are functional food ingredients found widely in plant foods, including fruits, whole grains and plant extracts [2]. They have been shown to inhibit the activities of key enzymes and glucose transporters in the hydrolysis of starch to glucose [3], and are widely studied for their role in influencing carbohydrate (CHO) digestion and absorption, attenuating postprandial glycaemia and improving insulin sensitivity [4,5,6]. The addition of berries to starch-rich foods appeared to have little or no effect on GR or satiety [10,11], despite an increase in postprandial antioxidant capacity [11]. But berries have been found to significantly reduce the IR when consumed with bread [12]
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