Effects of plant polar lipids on postprandial glycemic regulation in healthy humans

Abstract: In light of diabetes becoming a global discussion topic, some steps ought to be taken to help reduce the number of individuals suffering from the disease. Keeping good glycemic control through a healthy diet helps prevent diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Plant lipids are increasingly being studied for their postprandial effects on humans. Using a randomized cross-over dose-effect design based on one previous study, which found that high amounts of polar lipids may beneficially affect postprandial blood glucose and insulin concentrations, this study tested whether a lower level of polar lipids can have the same effect on glycemic regulation. For this study, 17 healthy subjects aged 20-40 years with BMIs ranging from 19 to 28 kg/m2 were recruited. In random order, five different breakfasts were consumed by participants. Three of the breakfasts contained variable amounts of a preparation rich in plant polar lipids (5g, 10g, and 15g) consumed with white wheat bread. In addition, one breakfast contained white wheat bread without added lipids, and another breakfast consisted of rapeseed oil (15g fat) and white wheat bread; these last breakfasts were included as reference meals. In contrast to the previous study, no significant differences between the breakfasts were found in terms of their effect on postprandial glycemic regulation. The study of the effects of polar lipids on this function is still relatively new. To draw a more solid conclusion, there is a need for more studies to explore polar lipids' ability to regulate postprandial glycemic responses. The results of this study may provide some new directions for future research, such as increasing the number of participants, studying the effects of different sources of polar lipid and trying to use different ways to prepare plant polar lipid-based food.