Low Dose Guar in a Novel Food Product: Improved Metabolic Control in Non‐insulin‐dependent Diabetes

Abstract

Sixteen non-insulin-dependent diabetic patients, mean age 60 years (range 47-69 years) and duration of diabetes 9 years (2-20 years), completed a randomized cross-over study of three 6-week periods separated by 2-week intervals to minimize carry-over effects, in which their usual bread was replaced by either control bread, guar bread (100 g guar/kg wheat flour), or control bread plus a guar granulate. The mean (+/- SEM) intake of guar taken in bread was 7.6 +/- 0.7 g/day (range 3.1-14.3 g/day). The granulate was taken in a dose of 5 g twice daily which provided 8.3 g guar/day. Significant reductions were found in glycosylated haemoglobin after guar bread (11.5 +/- 0.8% to 10.7 +/- 0.8%; p less than 0.02) and after guar granulate (11.2 +/- 0.8% to 10.6 +/- 0.7%; p less than 0.05) compared with control bread. Total cholesterol was also reduced significantly after both guar bread and guar granulate (p less than 0.01, p less than 0.02), the changes being due to LDL-cholesterol. Dietary intakes and body weight did not change. No significant side-effects were reported; 14 subjects found guar bread more palatable than guar granulate but 8 preferred the granulate for its convenience. We conclude that a lower than convential dose of guar can be effective and palatable. The incorporation of guar into food increases its metabolic benefits and palatability.

Should Viscous Fiber Supplements Be Considered in Diabetes Control? Results From a Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

“…Figure 1-Flow of the literature.care.diabetesjournals.orgJovanovski and Associates 757 information for calculation (n = 652) (21,25,26,29,35,[37][38][39]41,46,48).…”

The Role of Viscous Soluble Fiber in the Metabolic Control of Diabetes: A review with special emphasis on cereals rich in β-glucan

“…A wide range of foods containing highly soluble fiber (mostly guar or psyllium gum) have been developed and clinically tested in the treatment of diabetes (Table 1). These include bread (20)(21)(22), biscuits (17,23), and breakfast cereals (16,19). The incorporation of highly DIABETES CARE, VOLUME 20, NUMBER 11, NOVEMBER 1997 fi-glucan and diabetes treatment viscous isolated gums in foods may have deleterious effects on the taste or texture of the products and often results in less taste and poor texture with increasing dose (17,20).…”

A new breakfast cereal containing guar gum reduces postprandial plasma glucose and insulin concentrations in normal-weight human subjects

“…Guar gum in its raw form or mixed with water is extremely unpalatable (Peterson et al 1987;Braaten et al 1991). To improve its palatability, guar gum can easily be incorporated into foods such as bread, biscuits, pasta and snack bars (Gatti et al 1984;Smith et al 1985;Ellis et al 1988a, b), which appear also to be the most clinically effective modes of administration (Fuessl et al 1986;Peterson et al 1987;Fairchild et al 1990).…”