Postprandial hyperglycaemia is recognised as an important target in type 2 diabetes management. Dietary pattern, meal composition, and amount of food intake are major factors for maintaining postprandial blood glucose levels. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of consuming a whey protein-based multi-ingredient nutritional drink (WD) on postprandial glycaemic, insulinaemic, and active glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) responses in comparison to a typical breakfast, which is boiled white rice with chicken (BC) in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Fifteen subjects with T2DM participated in a randomised, controlled, cross-over study. Two isocaloric diets with similar nutrient composition were randomly tested with at least 7 d in between. Glucose, insulin, and active GLP-1 were measured by standard methods with blood samples collected with a venous catheter for 240 min during a kinetic test. The incremental area under the curve (iAUC0–240 min) for plasma glucose was significantly lower after the consumption of WD (WD: 3551 ± 546; BC: 9610 ± 848 mg min/dl; P < 0⋅01), while insulinaemic response tended to be lesser (iAUC0–240 min) than those of BC. In addition, higher iAUC0–240 min for active GLP-1 was obtained with WD diet (WD: 2230 ± 441; BC: 925 ± 183 pM min/ml; P < 0⋅01). This study showed that WD can be used to replace a regular breakfast for improving postprandial glucose response and active GLP-1 levels in people with T2DM. Further studies are required to elucidate the clinical efficacy of WD on long-term glycaemic control in people with T2DM.

Date fruits (Phoenix dactylifera L.) are rich in sugar and also contain a substantial amount of phenolic compounds. Therefore, date fruits can be used to produce an alternative sweetener, having lower glycemic index than sucrose. This study investigated the effects of extraction and evaporation methods on various properties of the syrups prepared from Barhi dates. Extraction of date juice with the aid of pectinase or cellulase significantly enhanced the production yield, total phenolic content, and antioxidant activities determined by Ferric Reducing Antioxidant Power and Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity assays. Syrups prepared without enzyme application had about 6–7 times higher apparent viscosity than those prepared from the enzyme-assisted extracted juices. Vacuum evaporation produced syrups with significantly lighter color and inferior antioxidant properties than open heating. Properties of date syrups prepared with or without enzyme-assisted extraction followed by open heat evaporation were not different. They had a glucose-to-fructose ratio close to 1:1, received good sensory acceptability scores of above 6 on a 9-point hedonic scale, contained a safe level (<40 mg/kg) of 5-hydroxymethyl-2-furfuraldehyde, and exhibited similar glass transition and melting temperatures; while a greater inhibition on α-amylase activity was observed in syrups obtained from enzyme-assisted extraction. The in vivo glycemic measurement revealed that the syrup prepared with the aid of Pectinex and open heating was classified as low glycemic index (GI = 55) and medium glycemic load (GL = 11). Thus, enzyme-assisted extraction of date juice using Pectinex could be used to produce a healthy natural sweetener from low quality date fruits.

Breastfeeding (BF) has been identified as a protective factor against childhood obesity. However, evidence of the association between BF duration and adiposity remains inconclusive. Few studies have been conducted among Southeast Asian infants that have measured body composition during infancy using the gold standard stable isotope method. This study aimed to evaluate the association between BF duration and body composition during infancy. Healthy full-term Thai infants aged 6-8 months (n = 60) receiving exclusive or predominant BF for at least 3 months were recruited. Skinfold thickness (SFT) was measured by well-trained investigators. Body composition was assessed by the deuterium dilution technique. Infants with longer BF duration (>6 months; mean 7.5 ± 0.5 months, n = 29) had a higher subscapular SFT z-score than those with shorter BF duration (≤6 months; mean 5.3± 0.9 months, n = 31) by 0.48