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Foods containing soluble dietary fibers delay glucose absorption and lower postprandial plasma glucose. This effect of oat bran has been attributed to oat gum (80% beta-glucan). However, purified oat gum has previously not been available for human studies. In this study the glucose and insulin responses to consuming 14.5 g of specifically prepared oat gum with 50 g glucose were compared with the response to guar gum with glucose and to glucose alone in nine healthy, fasting subjects. Plasma glucose and insulin increases after the glucose drink were greater than after both gum meals between 20 and 60 min (P less than 0.01). The responses to the two gum meals were nearly identical. These results establish that the more palatable oat gum lowers postprandial plasma glucose and insulin concentrations in humans and may be comparable with or of greater benefit than guar gum.