January 2000, Volume 54, Issue 1, Pages 24 - 28

Original Communication

Effects of a low-glycaemic index spaghetti meal on glucose tolerance and lipaemia at a subsequent meal in healthy subjects H Liljeberg & I Björck Department of Applied Nutrition and Food Chemistry, Chemical Center, Lund University, Sweden     Correspondence to: H Liljeberg , Department of Applied Nutrition and Food Chemistry, Chemical Center, Lund University, PO Box 124, S-221 00 Lund, Sweden. E-mail: Helena.Liljeberg@inl.lth.se .     Guarantor: Assoc. Prof. Inger Björck Contributors: HL and IB designed the study. HL was responsible for the co-ordination of the human study, data collection and statistical analysis. Both investigators contributed to the preparation of the paper.

Keywords

second-meal tolerance;   glucose and insulin responses;   triglycerides;   glycaemic index;   spaghetti;   humans

Abstract

Objective: The aim of the study was to evaluate the impact of a low glycaemic index (GI) breakfast on glucose tolerance and lipaemia at a subsequent lunch meal. Design: A low GI spaghetti meal and a high-GI white wheat bread (WWB) reference meal were served in the morning after an overnight fast in random order. Four hours after the breakfast, the subjects were given a second meal--a standardized high-GI lunch--and the blood glucose, insulin and lipid responses were measured after the lunch meal. Setting: The study was performed at the Department of Applied Nutrition and Food Chemistry, Lund University, Sweden. Subjects: Ten healthy volunteers, eight women and two men, aged 25-51 y, with normal body mass indices, were recruited. Results: Lowered glucose and insulin responses and reduced serum triglyceride (TG) level were found at the subsequent lunch meal when the low-GI spaghetti meal was given as a breakfast. No differences in total serum cholesterol or HDL cholesterol were seen after lunch, when preceded by the WWB reference breakfast or the spaghetti breakfast, respectively. Conclusions: Improved glucose tolerance and lowered serum TG levels can appear in the course of a single day. As insulin resistance and raised postprandial TG concentration are known risk factors for cardiovascular disease, the present study adds evidence for a beneficial role of a low-GI diet. Sponsorship: Cerealia Foundation for Research and Development (project no. 232) and the Swedish Council for Forestry and Agricultural Research. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition (2000) 54, 24-28

Received 20 March 1999; Revised 6 July 1999; Accepted 16 July 1999

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