Reducing the glycemic impact of carbohydrates on foods and meals: Strategies for the food industry and consumers with special focus on Asia

Abstract

Type 2 diabetes is increasingly prevalent in Asia, which can be attributed to a carbohydrate‐rich diet, consisting of foods in the form of grains, for example, rice, or a food product made from flours or isolated starch, for example, noodles. Carbohydrates become a health issue when they are digested and absorbed rapidly (high glycemic index), and more so when they are consumed in large quantities (high glycemic load). The principal strategies of glycemic control should thus aim to reduce the amount of carbohydrate available for digestion, reduce the rate of digestion of the food, reduce the rate of glucose absorption, and increase the rate of glucose removal from blood. From a food perspective, the composition and structure of the food can be modified to reduce the amount of carbohydrates or alter starch digestibility and glucose absorption rates via using different food ingredients and processing methods. From a human perspective, eating behavior and food choices surrounding a meal can also affect glycemic response. This review therefore identifies actionable strategies and opportunities across foods and meals that can be considered by food manufacturers or consumers. They are (a) using alternative ingredients, (b) adding functional ingredients, and (c) changing processing methods and parameters for foods, and optimizing (a) eating behavior, (b) preloading or co‐ingestion of other macronutrients, and (c) meal sequence and history. The effectiveness of a strategy would depend on consumer acceptance, compatibility of the strategy with an existing food product, and whether it is economically or technologically feasible. A combination of two or more strategies is recommended for greater effectiveness and flexibility.

Improvement of wheat cookies’ nutritional quality, by partial substitution with common bean and maize flours, sustained human glycemia and enhanced satiety perception

“…The incremental area under the curve (AUCt) was determined considering only the positive incremental values (above the baseline obtained at the fasting period) on the common bean enriched cookies, wheat cookies, and oral glucose assays. The glycemic index (GI), defined as the incremental area under the glycemic response curve (AUCt) elicited by a portion of food containing 50 g of available carbohydrate, was expressed as a percentage by comparison with the glycemic response elicited by 50 g of glucose (Augustin et al., 2015; Wee & Henry, 2020), accordingly to Equation .…”

Oat-Based Foods: Chemical Constituents, Glycemic Index, and the Effect of Processing

“…(1) The grain structure is compact and intact, and the food can only be chewed and ground through the mouth. This minimal process ensures an intact cell wall and maintains a barrier to starch, thus reducing the accessibility to digestive enzymes and producing a lower GI value [64], (2) The outer aleurone layer of oat grains acts as a barrier to water absorption and starch gelatinization, thus retarding the starch hydrolysis and the release of glucose, and (3) The β-glucans and polyphenols-rich bran layer can delay gastric emptying and inhibit the activity of digestive enzymes [93].…”

Effect of Intake of Food Hydrocolloids of Bacterial Origin on the Glycemic Response in Humans: Systematic Review and Narrative Synthesis

“…The mechanisms whereby food hydrocolloids may modulate blood glucose responses include surface interactions acting as a barrier for enzymatic access, restricting leakage of amylose chains during gelatinization, and increasing digesta viscosity. This may slow the release and breakdown of nutrients from the food matrix into absorbable forms [ 38 , 39 ].…”