Abstract:
Context: Type 2 diabetes and obesity are major global public health concerns as they affect the health and the socio- economic development of millions of people. The glycaemic response of foods may have important implications for the prevention and treatment of Type 2 diabetes and obesity. Many factors such as particle size, cooking and food processing, starch structure and presence of other food components such as fat, dietary fibre and protein impact the glycaemic response. Insulin secretion is elicited primarily by the carbohydrates present in the food; however, studies have shown that there are other insulinotropic factors such as amino acids, fatty acids and gastrointestinal hormones.
Objective: The current study aims at evaluating the effect of two different doses of NUTRALYS® pea protein on postprandial glycaemic and insulinaemic responses following a high-carbohydrate beverage intake in healthy individuals.
Methods: Thirty-one participants, aged 19 to 55 years, were given 50 g of glucose (Control), 50 g of glucose with 25 g of pea protein (Test 1) and 50 g of glucose with 50 g of pea protein (Test 2) on three separate days in a single-blind, randomised, controlled, repeat measure, crossover design trial. Blood samples were taken before each test and at fixed intervals for 180 minutes. Blood glucose and plasma insulin were measured. The data were compared using repeated-measures ANOVA or the Friedman test.
Results: Glucose incremental Area under curve (iAUC-180) was significantly reduced by 31% for Test 1 compared to Control, by 53% for Test 2 compared to Control and by 32% for Test 2 compared to Test 1.
Insulin iAUC-180 was significantly increased by 28% for Test 1 compared to Control, by 40% for Test 2 compared to Control and by 17% for Test 2 compared to Test 1.
Conclusion: The consumption of pea protein reduced postprandial glycaemia and moderately stimulated insulin release in healthy adults with a dose-response effect, supporting its role in regulating glycaemic and insulinaemic responses
