METABOLIC RESPONSES TO STARCH IN OAT AND WHEAT PRODUCTS - ON THE IMPORTANCE OF FOOD STRUCTURE, INCOMPLETE GELATINIZATION OR PRESENCE OF VISCOUS DIETARY FIBER

Objective: Evaluate the importance of incomplete gelatinization, food structure and presence of viscous dietary fibre for the postprandial g lycaemic and insulinaemic responses to oat and wheat products. Design: Three common breakfast meals were tested, 'raw' rolled oats (muesli), boiled rolled oats (oat porridge) and white wheat bread. Boiled intac t oat and wheat kernels (kernel porridges) were also included. For com parison, glycaemic indices (GIs) were calculated both from analysis of capillary and venous blood samples. Setting: The study was performed at the research laboratory, Dalby Health Sciences Centre (primary care ). Subjects: Nine healthy male volunteers between 65 and 70 years of a ge participated in the study. Results: The rolled oats and oat porridg e elicited high metabolic responses. No differences in the glycaemic a nd insulinaemic indices (IIs) were seen between these products and whi te wheat bread. In contrast, the kernel porridges produced low glucose and insulin responses. No differences were obtained in GI values whet her based on capillary or venous blood. However, with some products ca pillary blood allowed smaller differences to be detected. Conclusions: Neither incomplete gelatinization in rolled oats nor naturally occurr ing viscous dietary fibre in oats affect postprandial glycaemia, where as enclosure of intact kernels significantly blunt metabolic responses .