The Glycemic Response Elicited by Beta-glucans of Different Physical Properties and Form

The ability of β-glucan to lower postprandial glycemic responses has been attributed to the viscosity of the solution in which the fibre is solubilized. It has been demonstrated that the viscosity of a β-glucan solution increases with the molecular weight (MW) of β-glucan polymers, as well as the dose or concentration (C) of those polymers in solution. Numerous studies have shown that glycemic response-lowering is strengthened when the C of a β-glucan solution of fixed liquid volume is increased by increasing β-glucan dose. However, the C of a β-glucan solution depends on not only the amount of fibre present but also on the solution volume. To our knowledge, no studies have investigated the effect of β-glucan solutions on glycemic response when C, and thus viscosity, is varied by changing the solution volume but not the β-glucan dose. Therefore, the investigators will test the effects of altering β-glucan solution viscosity by altering solution volume at a fixed amount of β-glucan fibre. Knowing how to incorporate β-glucan into solution so that its physiological benefits are preserved will assist in the development of β-glucan-containing functional foods.