Effects of the intake of <i>Undaria pinnatifida </i>(Wakame) and its <i>sporophylls </i>(Mekabu) on postprandial glucose and insulin metabolism

Abstract

Long-term suppression of postprandial glucose concentration is an important dietary strategy for the prevention and treatment of type 2 diabetes. Because previous reports have suggested that seaweed may exert anti-diabetic effects in animals, the effects of Wakame or Mekabu intake with 200 g white rice, 50 g boiled soybeans, 60 g potatoes, and 40 g broccoli on postprandial glucose, insulin and free fatty acid levels were investigated in healthy subjects. Plasma glucose levels at 30 min and glucose area under the curve (AUC) at 0-30 min after the Mekabu meal were significantly lower than that after the control meal. Plasma glucose and glucose AUC were not different between the Wakame and control meals. Postprandial serum insulin and its AUC and free fatty acid concentration were not different among the three meals. In addition, fullness, satisfaction, and wellness scores were not different among the three meals. Thus, consumption of 70 g Mekabu with a white rice-based breakfast reduces postprandial glucose concentration.

Seaweeds as nutraceuticals for health and nutrition

“…cocoa and grapes, increase cerebral blood flow. Tanemura et al (2014) examined the postprandial blood glucose profiles of 12 healthy adults (eight men, four women, average age 25) after a meal with and without the inclusion of fresh, cooked, whole U. pinnatifida (wakame), or sporophylls of U. pinnatifida (mekabu). An average Japanese cooked breakfast of white rice (200 g), boiled soya beans, broccoli, and potatoes was supplemented with either 70 g fresh wakame or 70 g fresh mekabu.…”

“…The small mekabu shoots that grow from the parent wakame seaweed thallus are more viscous when cooked. This is due to their higher content of soluble viscous fibre, which affects carbohydrate metabolism and delays gastric emptying (Tanemura et al 2014). It was concluded that the addition of fresh, brown seaweed to meals could be useful in controlling blood glucose levels for people with type 2 diabetes.…”

Potential Bioactive Compounds from Seaweed for Diabetes Management

“…The consumption of commercial blend of Ascophyllum nodosum and Fucus vesiculosus was associated with improved insulin regulation and sensitivity, measured in human subjects using the Cederholm index upon carbohydrate ingestion, compared with placebo [ 45 ]. Consumption of mekabu (sporophylls of Undaria pinnatifida ) with a white rice-based breakfast by healthy volunteers demonstrated a reduction of post-prandial glucose concentration and this was attributed to the content and viscosity of fucoxanthin in mekabu [ 46 ]. Recently, a study involving more than 4000 participants in Korea revealed that insulin level and insulin resistance were inversely associated with dietary intake of flavonols and flavones, thereby reducing the risk of T2DM [ 47 ].…”

Brown Seaweeds for the Management of Metabolic Syndrome and Associated Diseases

“…Another study investigated the enrichment of a test meal enriched with Wakame and Mekabu, two nutritionally identical preparations obtained from U. pinnatifida characterized by different viscosities. The Mekabu meal significantly reduced the postprandial blood glucose levels (30 min) and glucose AUC, modifying the high glycaemic index of white rice, thus confirming the usefulness of this brown seaweed in controlling T2DM [ 177 ].…”