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Food Amylose Content Affects Postprandial Glucose and Insulin Responses

¹Diet and Human Performance Laboratory Beltsville Human Nutrition Research Center, Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Beltsville, MD. ²Corresponding author. Phone: 301-504-8682. Fax: 301-504-9098. E-mail: behallk@ba.ars.usda.gov

Beneficial reduction in glycemic response has been observed after consumption of some high-amylose foods. This study examined the effect of varying the moisture content and the particle size of the starch in a test food. Twelve men and 12 women consumed corn chips or corn muffins made with starch or starch plus cornmeal from standard corn (30% amylose, 70% amylopectin) or high amylose (70%) corn. Half of the subjects were hyperinsulinemic based on a prestudy glucose challenge. No gender differences were observed. The hyperinsulinemic subjects had significantly higher insulin and glucose responses and area under the curve as compared with the normal responders. Average glucose, insulin and glucagon were usually lower after muffins compared with chips or foods containing cornmeal. Insulin and glucose responses, but not glucagon, were significantly lower after the consumption of foods made with high-amylose compared with standard corn starch and in control versus hyperinsulinemic subjects. Average plasma glucose and insulin area under the curves after high-amylose foods were approximately half those after standard corn starch. The presence of cornmeal (increasing the particle size of the starch) had less effect on the response of glucose, insulin or glucagon than the type of starch or food consumed.