EFFECTS OF BREAKFAST CEREALS CONTAINING VARIOUS AMOUNTS OF BETA-GLUCAN FIBERS ON PLASMA-GLUCOSE AND INSULIN RESPONSES IN NIDDM SUBJECTS

OBJECTIVE - To determine whether increasing doses (amounts) of beta-gl ucan present in an extruded breakfast cereal affect the glycemic and i nsulinemic responses in eight NIDDM subjects, compared with the same r esponses after a continental breakfast (bread, milk, cheese, ham). RES EARCH DESIGN AND METHODS - Breakfast cereals were produced using vario us proportions of oat bran enriched in fiber, which contain an unusual ly high amount of a viscous polysaccharide, called beta-glucan, and oa t bran. The carbohydrate load was 35 g. RESULTS - The maximum increase s observed in plasma glucose after the breakfast cereal were 67% (P < 0.05), 42% (P < 0.001), and 38% (P < 0.001) with 4.0, 6.0, and 8.4 g b eta-glucan, respectively, compared with the continental breakfast. The re was a linear inverse relationship between dose of beta-glucan and p lasma glucose peak or area under the glucose curve (R(2) = 0.94, P < 0 .05). Postprandial insulin increase was only 59-67% (P < 0.01) as high as the continental breakfast after all three levels of beta-glucan. C ONCLUSIONS - The 50% decrease in glycemic response that was observed a fter the ingestion of 35 g carbohydrate is estimated to occur with sim ilar to 5 g beta-glucan. This dose of beta-glucan can easily be attain ed without the loss of taste by incorporating oat bran concentrate in products.