Search Results (38)

Biscuits are widely consumed snacks traditionally made from wheat flour, which poses challenges for individuals with gluten intolerance and/or diabetes due to their high glycaemic index (GI). This study explored the production of gluten-free biscuits using rice flour from two varieties, Type III (Basmati) and Ariete (Long A), incorporating varying proportions of rice bran as a substitute for milled and brown rice flour. Results show that biscuits made with rice bran had lower starch digestibility and reduced GI (57.06–62.75) compared to control biscuits (66.23–66.95). Rice bran also increased bioactive compounds, such as phytic acid (0.16 to 1.96 g/100 g), γ-oryzanol (0.20 to 86.56 mg/100 g), and γ-aminobutyric acid (6.78 to 16.23 mg/100 g), known for their benefits to diabetes metabolism. Physicochemical analysis further revealed higher protein (6.49%) and lower starch content (30.07%) in rice bran biscuits than in control biscuits (4.20% and 47.38%, respectively). The control biscuits exhibited the highest spread ratio (5.90 and 6.35) and the Ariete variety produced less brittle biscuits (168.30 N), although the addition of bran increased brittleness under cutting force (54.55 N). Sensory evaluation of four rice biscuit formulations showed no significant differences in consumer preferences, regardless of flour type, bran proportion, or rice variety. Among the formulations, the Type III biscuits with an equal blend of milled flour and rice bran stood out, offering improved nutritional quality and a promising option for gluten-free, low-GI diets for consumers seeking healthier alternatives. This formulation also proved a strong balance across key nutritional and bioactive parameters, when compared to a commercial wellness biscuit. Full article

Nut-based products are a good source of high-quality plant protein in addition to mono- and polyunsaturated fatty acids, and may aid low-glycaemic dietary strategies important for the prevention of type 2 diabetes (T2D). In particular, they may be advantageous in populations susceptible to dysglycaemia, such as Asian Chinese. The present study aimed to compare effects of a higher-protein nut bar (HP-NB, also higher in total fibre and unsaturated fats, comprising mixed almonds and peanuts) vs. an isoenergetic higher-carbohydrate cereal bar (HC-CB) within the diet of 101 Chinese adults with overweight and normo- or hyperglycaemia. Ectopic pancreas and liver fat were characterised using magnetic resonance imaging and spectroscopy (MRI/S) as a secondary outcome. Participants were randomized to receive HP-NB or HC-CB daily as a 1 MJ light meal or snack replacement, in addition to healthy eating advice. Anthropometry and clinical indicators of T2D risk were assessed fasted and during an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT), pre- and post-intervention. No significant difference was observed between diet groups for body weight, body mass index, waist or hip circumference, blood pressure, glucoregulatory markers, lipid profile or inflammatory markers over 12 weeks (all, p > 0.05). No difference was observed between glycaemic subgroups or those with normal versus high ectopic organ fat. Although HP-NB can attenuate postprandial glycaemia following a meal, no effects were observed for either fasting or glucose-mediated outcomes following longer-term inclusion in the habitual diet of Chinese adults with overweight, including at-risk subgroups. Full article

The demand for gluten-free (GF) bread is steadily increasing. However, the production of GF bread with improved baking quality and enhanced nutritional properties remains a challenge. In this study, we investigated the effects of adding psyllium fibre (PSY) in varying proportions to buckwheat flour on the dough characteristics, bread quality, and starch digestion properties of GF bread. Our results demonstrate that incorporating PSY contributes to the formation of a gluten-like network structure in the dough, leading to an increase in the gas holding capacity from 83.67% to 98.50%. The addition of PSY significantly increased the specific volume of the bread from 1.17 mL/g to 3.16 mL/g. Bread containing PSY displayed superior textural characteristics and colour. Our study also revealed that the inclusion of PSY reduced the digestibility of starch in GF bread. These findings highlight the positive impact of incorporating PSY into GF bread, suggesting its potential in guiding the production of GF bread with a lower glycaemic index. This may be particularly beneficial for individuals seeking to regulate their blood sugar levels or adopt a low-glycaemic diet. Full article

The effectiveness of the Mediterranean diet (MD) in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) subjects has been evaluated in several randomized controlled trials (RCTs). This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the overall effects of MD intervention in a cohort of NAFLD patients targeting specific markers such as central obesity, lipid profile, liver enzymes and fibrosis, and intrahepatic fat (IHF). Google Scholar, PubMed, and Scopus were explored to collect relevant studies from the last 10 years. RCTs with NAFLD subjects were included in this systematic review with a mean intervention duration from 6 weeks to 1 year, and different intervention strategies, mainly including energy restriction MD (normal or low glycaemic index), low-fat MD with increased monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids, and increased exercise expenditure. The outcomes measured in this meta-analysis were gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), total cholesterol (TC), waist circumference (WC), and liver fibrosis. Ten randomized controlled trials, which involved a total of 737 adults with NAFLD, were included. According to the results, the MD seems to decrease the liver stiffness (kPa) by –0.42 (CI95% –0.92, 0.09) (p = 0.10) and significantly reduce the TC by –0.46 mg/dl (CI95% –0.55, −0.38) (p = 0.001), while no significant findings were documented for liver enzymes and WC among patients with NAFLD. In conclusion, the MD might reduce indirect and direct outcomes linked with NAFLD severity, such as TC, liver fibrosis, and WC, although it is important to consider the variations across trials. Further RCTs are necessary to corroborate the findings obtained and provide further evidence on the role of the MD in the modulation of other disorders related to NAFLD. Full article

Gestational diabetes mellitus is associated with a significantly increased risk of later type 2 diabetes (T2DM) and cardiovascular disease (CVD). Post-natal interventions aim to reduce this risk by addressing diet and lifestyle factors and frequently focus on restricting energy or macronutrient intake. With increased interest in the role of complete dietary patterns in the prevention of cardiometabolic disease, we sought to evaluate what is known about the role of dietary patterns in reducing cardiometabolic risk in women with previous GDM. A systematic search was conducted to identify studies relating to dietary pattern and cardiometabolic parameters in women with a history of GDM. The search criteria returned 6014 individual studies. In total, 71 full texts were reviewed, with 24 studies included in the final review. Eleven individual dietary patterns were identified, with the Alternative Health Eating Index (AHEI), Mediterranean diet (MD), and low glycaemic index (GI) as the most commonly featured dietary patterns. Relevant reported outcomes included incident T2DM and glucose tolerance parameters, as well as several cardiovascular risk factors. Dietary patterns which have previously been extensively demonstrated to reduce the risk of cardiovascular and metabolic disorders in the general population, including AHEI, MD, and DASH, were found to be associated with a reduction in the incidence of T2DM, hypertension, and additional risk factors for cardiometabolic disease in women with a history of GDM. Notable gaps in the literature were identified, including the relationship between dietary patterns and incident CVD, as well as the relationship between a low GI diet and the development of T2DM in this population. Full article

The reuse of food by-products is crucial for the well-being of the planet. Considering the high content of nutrients and other bioactive compounds in many of them, investigating their suitability for use as human food ingredients is an interesting challenge. In this study, in addition to the proximate composition, phenol content and antioxidant activity (AOA = 3.2 mmol Trolox equivalent (TE)/100 g, db) of orange juice powder by-product (CoP), different in vitro properties related to carbohydrate metabolism have been characterised. Specifically, the glycaemic index (GI), the glycaemic load (GL), the glucose dialysis retardation index (GDRI = 13.6%), the glucose adsorption capacity (GAC = 22.5 mM) and the inhibition capacity of α-amylase (α-A = 46.9%) and α-glucosidase (α-G = 93.3%) of powdered orange juice waste have been determined and related to fibre and phenolics composition. Taking advantage of the high fibre content of the by-product (36.67%), its GL was calculated for a CoP dose that allows labelling the food to which it is added as a source of fibre. The low GI value (24.4%) and the low GL (0.918 g available carbohydrates per serving) allowed us to conclude that the product studied could be an interesting opportunity for the food industry to offer it as a healthy food ingredient to be included in the diet, especially for those suffering from type 2 diabetes mellitus. Of the total phenolic compounds (TP = 509 mg equivalent of gallic acid (GAE)/100 g, db), 68% were found in free fraction (FP), and their contribution to the total AOA was 40.6%, while this was 54.9% for the 32% of phenols bound to plant tissues (BP). Full article

Some specific dietary patterns improve glycaemic levels and cardiovascular risk factors better than others. We aimed to identify the most effective dietary patterns using a food-focused approach to improve blood glucose management (primary outcome) and cardiovascular risk factors (secondary outcome) in people with type 2 diabetes. An umbrella review was conducted comparing dietary patterns for the management of these outcomes. Studies published between 2012 and 2022 were identified using PubMed Central, ProQuest, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. Thirty systematic reviews met the inclusion criteria. Twenty-two of thirty reviews quantitated (via meta-analyses of over 212 randomised control trials) the effect size of different dietary patterns. Twelve reviews found Low-carbohydrate (LC), Mediterranean (M), Plant-based (PB), and/or Low-glycaemic Index (LGI) diets reduced HbA1c moderately more than control diets (typically a high-carbohydrate, low-fat diet) (i.e., LC: −0.1 to −0.5%; M: −0.3 to −0.5%; PB: −0.2 to −0.4%; LGI −0.2 to −0.5%; all p-value < 0.01). We conclude that Low-carbohydrate, Mediterranean, Plant-based, and Low-glycaemic Index dietary patterns are all clinically effective for people with type 2 diabetes as alternatives to high-carbohydrate, low-fat diets typically used for managing glycaemic levels and CVD risk. However, quality evidence about the sustainability of effects and safety remains limited, warranting future research. Full article

Global interest in yacon (Smallanthus sonchifolius) is growing due to its potential as a functional food, attributable to its unique profile of bioactives and high fructooligosaccharide (FOS) content, which vary between cultivars. Our objective was to conduct a comprehensive chemical and nutritional analysis of New Zealand yacon concentrate (NZYC)—a sweet syrup derived from the roots of cultivar ‘New Zealand’, which was first grown in the 1980s. The major minerals in NZYC were potassium, phosphorus, and calcium. The FOS content ranged from 17.6 to 52.7 g/100g. Total phenolic content ranged from 565 to 785 mg gallic acid equivalents per 100 g; chlorogenic acid and caffeic acid were the major phenolic compounds. The major amino acids were L-arginine, L-glutamic acid, L-proline, L-aspartic acid, and asparagine. The major organic acids were citric, malic, quinic, and fumaric acids. Antioxidant activity ranged from 1084.14 to 3085.78 mg Trolox equivalents per 100 g depending on the assay used. The glycaemic index (GI) value was 40 ± 0.22, classifying it as a low-GI food. These results support the classification of NZYC as a nutraceutical food product for future diet therapy applications. Full article

In women with type 1 diabetes, the risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes, including congenital anomalies, preeclampsia, preterm delivery, foetal overgrowth and perinatal death is 2–4-fold increased compared to the background population. This review provides the present evidence supporting recommendations for the diet during pregnancy and breastfeeding in women with type 1 diabetes. The amount of carbohydrate consumed in a meal is the main dietary factor affecting the postprandial glucose response. Excessive gestational weight gain is emerging as another important risk factor for foetal overgrowth. Dietary advice to promote optimized glycaemic control and appropriate gestational weight gain is therefore important for normal foetal growth and pregnancy outcome. Dietary management should include advice to secure sufficient intake of micro- and macronutrients with a focus on limiting postprandial glucose excursions, preventing hypoglycaemia and promoting appropriate gestational weight gain and weight loss after delivery. Irrespective of pre-pregnancy BMI, a total daily intake of a minimum of 175 g of carbohydrate, mainly from low-glycaemic-index sources such as bread, whole grain, fruits, rice, potatoes, dairy products and pasta, is recommended during pregnancy. These food items are often available at a lower cost than ultra-processed foods, so this dietary advice is likely to be feasible also in women with low socioeconomic status. Individual counselling aiming at consistent timing of three main meals and 2–4 snacks daily, with focus on carbohydrate amount with pragmatic carbohydrate counting, is probably of value to prevent both hypoglycaemia and hyperglycaemia. The recommended gestational weight gain is dependent on maternal pre-pregnancy BMI and is lower when BMI is above 25 kg/m². Daily folic acid supplementation should be initiated before conception and taken during the first 12 gestational weeks to minimize the risk of foetal malformations. Women with type 1 diabetes are encouraged to breastfeed. A total daily intake of a minimum of 210 g of carbohydrate is recommended in the breastfeeding period for all women irrespective of pre-pregnancy BMI to maintain acceptable glycaemic control while avoiding ketoacidosis and hypoglycaemia. During breastfeeding insulin requirements are reported approximately 20% lower than before pregnancy. Women should be encouraged to avoid weight retention after pregnancy in order to reduce the risk of overweight and obesity later in life. In conclusion, pregnant women with type 1 diabetes are recommended to follow the general dietary recommendations for pregnant and breastfeeding women with special emphasis on using carbohydrate counting to secure sufficient intake of carbohydrates and to avoid excessive gestational weight gain and weight retention after pregnancy. Full article

Background: Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic autoimmune inflammatory disease characterised by immune dysregulation affecting multiple organs. Current anti-inflammatory treatments used in SLE are associated with unwanted side-effects. Dietary supplementation has been suggested as a safe and effective addition to conventional treatment, but evidence of efficacy in SLE or preventing associated comorbidities is uncertain. Methods: We identified literature on clinical trials focused on nutritional interventions in SLE aiming to improve inflammation and comorbidities. A systematic-type search on Embase, Medline, and the Cochrane Library, was conducted to identify nutritional interventions among SLE patients in the past 15 years that met our inclusion criteria. Results: We identified 2754 articles, of which 14 were eligible for inclusion based on our set criteria and were subsequently quality assessed. Vitamin D or E supplementation was associated with respective improvement of inflammatory markers or antibody production, but not disease activity scores in most studies. Despite their expected synergistic actions, the addition of curcumin on vitamin D supplementation had no additional effects on disease activity or inflammatory markers. Trials of omega-3 fatty acid supplementation presented significant reductions in ESR, CRP, disease activity, inflammatory markers, and oxidative stress, and improved lipid levels and endothelial function, while a low glycaemic index (GI) diet showed evidence of reduced weight and improved fatigue in patients. Conclusions: Different dietary guidelines can therefore be implicated to target specific SLE symptoms or therapeutic side-effects. This systematic review highlights the scarcity of larger and longer in duration trials with homogenous methodologies and verifiable outcomes to assess disease progression. Full article

Rice and cereal consumption has become a concern for consumers due to usually high glycaemic indexes (GI), which is a critical issue for a balanced and healthy diet. Therefore, the development of new products with low GI is an important target of the industry, particularly in countries with high consumption. This study assesses consumers’ perceptions about “rice” and “rice with low GI” and evaluates the effect of consumers’ rice consumption profiles through the application of a free word association technique in a structured self-administered electronic questionnaire with 256 Portuguese consumers (the European market with the highest per capita consumption of rice by far). The frequency of rice consumption was evaluated, and the consumption profile was determined through a hierarchical cluster analysis, with 9% identified as daily consumers. The response words were categorized by the triangulation technique, and the association between the word categories and dimensions, sociodemographic characteristics, and consumption profile were determined. Respondents most frequently associated “rice” with rice dishes, its sensory attributes, and nutrition, highlighting the satisfaction of nutritional and hedonic needs. Consumers revealed positive expectations in relation to the functionality of “rice with low GI”. The consumers’ rice consumption profiles, sex, age, and educational levels influenced their perception towards “rice“ and “rice with low GI”. This study provides important insights for the industry to develop a consumer-oriented, low GI rice product. Full article

A randomised controlled trial to measure the effects of integrating real-time continuous glucose monitor (rtCGM) into a low glycaemic index (GI) and glycaemic load (GL) dietary intervention on dietary intake, body composition and specific metabolic parameters was carried out. A total of 40 overweight young adults [(means ± SD) age: 26.4 ± 5.3 years, BMI: 29.4 ± 4.7 kg/m²] were randomised into an intervention and control groups for a period of eight weeks. Both groups received nutrition education on low GI and GL foods. The intervention group also received an rtCGM system to monitor their glucose levels 24 h a day. While controlling for physical activities and GI and GL nutrition knowledge, the results indicated that the rtCGM system further improved body weight, BMI, fat mass, fasting plasma glucose, HbA1c, total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol and LDL cholesterol in the intervention group (p < 0.05). This trial unveils the robustness of the rtCGM where non-diabetic overweight and obese young adults can benefit from this device and utilise it as a management tool for overweight and obesity and a primary prevention tool for type 2 diabetes, as it provides real-time and personalised information on physiological changes. Full article

Paediatric non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has become the most common chronic liver disease in childhood. Obesity is the main risk factor. Nutrition and lifestyle are the key elements in preventing and treating NAFLD in the absence of approved drug therapy. Whilst recommendations and studies on macronutrients (carbohydrates, fat and protein) in adult NAFLD exist, the discussion of this topic in paediatric NAFLD remains contradictory. The purpose of this review is to provide state-of-the-art knowledge on the role of macronutrients in paediatric NAFLD regarding quality and quantity. PubMed was searched and original studies and review articles were included in this review. Fructose, sucrose, saturated fatty acids, trans-fatty acids and ω-6-fatty-acids are strongly associated with paediatric NAFLD. High consumption of fibre, diets with a low glycaemic index, mono-unsaturated-fatty-acids and ω-3-fatty-acids reduce the risk of childhood-onset NAFLD. Data regarding the role of dietary protein in NAFLD are contradictory. No single diet is superior in treating paediatric NAFLD, although the composition of macronutrients in the Mediterranean Diet appears beneficial. Moreover, the optimal proportions of total macronutrients in the diet of paediatric NAFLD patients are unknown. Maintaining a eucaloric diet and avoiding saturated fatty acids, simple sugars (mainly fructose) and a high-caloric Western Diet are supported by literature. Full article

Gastroparesis is a motility disorder that causes severe gastric symptoms and delayed gastric emptying, where the majority of sufferers are females (80%), with 29% of sufferers also diagnosed with Type-1 or Type-2 diabetes. Current clinical recommendations involve stringent dietary restriction and includes the avoidance and minimization of dietary fibre. Dietary fibre lowers the glycaemic index of food, reduces inflammation and provides laxation. Lack of dietary fibre in the diet can affect long-term gastrointestinal health. Our previously published rheological study demonstrated that “low-viscosity” soluble fibres could be a potentially tolerable source of fibre for the gastroparetic population. A randomised controlled crossover pilot clinical study was designed to compare Partially-hydrolysed guar gum or PHGG (test fibre 1), gum Arabic (test fibre 2), psyllium husk (positive control) and water (negative control) in mild-to-moderate symptomatic gastroparesis patients (requiring no enteral tube feeding). The principal aim of the study was to determine the short-term physiological effects and tolerability of the test fibres. In n = 10 female participants, post-prandial blood glucose, gastroparesis symptoms, and breath test measurements were recorded. Normalized clinical data revealed that test fibres PHGG and gum Arabic were able to regulate blood glucose comparable to psyllium husk, while causing far fewer symptoms, equivalent to negative control. The test fibres did not greatly delay mouth-to-caecum transit, though more data is needed. The study data looks promising, and a longer-term study investigating these test fibres is being planned. Full article

The use of nutritional interventions for managing diabetes is one of the effective strategies aimed at reducing the global prevalence of the condition, which is on the rise. Almonds are the most consumed tree nut and they are known to be rich sources of protein, monounsaturated fatty acids, essential minerals, and dietary fibre. Therefore, the aim of this review was to evaluate the effects of almonds on gut microbiota, glycometabolism, and inflammatory parameters in patients with type 2 diabetes. Methods: This systematic review and meta-analysis was carried out according to the preferred reporting items for systematic review and meta-analysis (PRISMA). EBSCOhost, which encompasses the Health Sciences Research Databases; Google Scholar; EMBASE; and the reference lists of articles were searched based on population, intervention, control, outcome, and study (PICOS) framework. Searches were carried out from database inception until 1 August 2021 based on medical subject headings (MesH) and synonyms. The meta-analysis was carried out with the Review Manager (RevMan) 5.3 software. Results: Nine randomised studies were included in the systematic review and eight were used for the meta-analysis. The results would suggest that almond-based diets have significant effects in promoting the growth of short-chain fatty acid (SCFA)-producing gut microbiota. Furthermore, the meta-analysis showed that almond-based diets were effective in significantly lowering (p < 0.05) glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) levels and body mass index (BMI) in patients with type 2 diabetes. However, it was also found that the effects of almonds were not significant (p > 0.05) in relation to fasting blood glucose, 2 h postprandial blood glucose, inflammatory markers (C-reactive protein and Tumour necrosis factor α, TNF-α), glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA–IR), and fasting insulin. The biological mechanisms responsible for the outcomes observed in this review in relation to reduction in HbA1c and BMI may be based on the nutrient composition of almonds and the biological effects, including the high fibre content and the low glycaemic index profile. Conclusion: The findings of this systematic review and meta-analysis have shown that almond-based diets may be effective in promoting short-chain fatty acid-producing bacteria and lowering glycated haemoglobin and body mass index in patients with type 2 diabetes compared with control. However, the effects of almonds were not significant (p > 0.05) with respect to fasting blood glucose, 2 h postprandial blood glucose, inflammatory markers (C-reactive protein and TNF-α), GLP-1, HOMA–IR, and fasting insulin. Full article