Digestion of Foods Consumed in Africa

Not Applicable

Completed

• Conditions: Obesity and Other Hyperalimentation
• Interventions: Other: Rice; Other: Potato; Other: Sorghum thick porridge; Other: Millet couscous; Other: Pasta; Other: Millet thin porridge; Other: Millet thick porridge; Other: Millet thin monikuru porridge

• Registration Number: NCT03007368
• Lead Sponsor: Purdue University

Brief Summary

As populations become urbanized in Africa, the change to a more Westernized diet has been associated with rise in obesity and related metabolic syndrome diseases. The current study shows that in the West African Sahel, these replacement starchy staple foods have fast gastric emptying compared to traditional sorghum and millet foods; and implies that the latter could be beneficial in lowering glycemic response, providing energy from a meal over a longer time, and providing a satiety effect. Knowledge of this attribute of sorghum and millet foods could be useful to improve their image in West African cities to increase their consumption and to improve markets for local smallholder farmers.

Detailed Description

As suggested by anecdotal evidence that traditional Malian sorghum and millet foods are filling and provide sustained energy, we hypothesized that gastric emptying rates of sorghum and millet foods are slow, particularly compared to non-traditional starchy foods (white rice, potato, wheat pasta) that are now commonly consumed in urban areas of the West African Sahel. A broader purpose for the study was to understand whether sorghum and millet foods have positive health attributes that can be promoted in urban areas to provide better markets for local farmers.

Two human trials of similar design were conducted approximately one year apart. The carbon 13 (13C)-labelled octanoic acid breath test method was used to measure gastric emptying rate, and subjective pre-test and satiety response questionnaires were used. In the first study, 14 healthy volunteers in Bamako, Mali participated in a crossover design to test eight starchy foods for gastric emptying rate and satiety feelings. The second study with six volunteers was done to correct for endogenous 13C differences in the starch component of the foods.

Study Timeline

• Study Start: 2012-03
• Primary Completion: 2013-04
• Study Completion: 2013-05
• Study First Submitted: 2016-11-01
• Status Verified: 2016-12
• Study First Submitted QC: 2016-12-29
• Last Update Submitted: 2016-12-29
• Study First Posted: 2017-01-02
• Last Update Posted: 2017-01-02

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: COMPLETED
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 20

Inclusion Criteria

• Normal body mass index (18 kg/m2 ≤ BMI ≤ 25 kg/m2)

Exclusion Criteria

• Under any medication
• History of any gastrointestinal disease or surgery
• Diabetes
• Smoker

Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: CROSSOVER

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
Rice	Rice	Cooked white rice and tomato-based sauce
Potato	Potato	Cooked white peeled potato and tomato-based sauce
Sorghum thick porridge	Sorghum thick porridge	Sorghum thick porridge and tomato-based sauce
Millet couscous	Millet couscous	Cooked millet couscous and tomato-based sauce
Pasta	Pasta	Cooked macaroni product and tomato-based sauce
Millet thin porridge	Millet thin porridge	Millet thin porridge
Millet thick porridge	Millet thick porridge	Millet thick porridge and tomato-based sauce
Millet thin monikuru porridge	Millet thin monikuru porridge	Millet thin porridge containing cooked millet granules (monikuru)

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Gastric emptying	acute study, 4 hours after consumption of test food	Breath test was performed using 13C-octanoic acid mixed into test meals

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Appetitive response	acute study, 4 hours after consumption of test food	Fullness and hunger questionnaire was given at various time points after consumption of test foods