Investigation into the postprandial glucose response following the ingestion of freshly cooked, chilled and reheated pasta.

Abstract

Background Cardiovascular disease, obesity and diabetes mellitus have become major causes of premature death and disability in affluent countries. Diet and lifestyle factors are leading causative factors contributing to these escalating epidemics. An individual's diet plays a significant role in the digestion and absorption of CHO. Pasta is a staple food known to have a low glycaemic index. Resistant starch which is found naturally in pasta may have auspicious health benefits and functional properties. The resistance of starch, however, can be significantly influenced by food preparation techniques. Recent research has demonstrated that the ingestion of pasta that has been reheated after being chilled overnight may be a healthier alternative to freshly cooked pasta. Materials and Methods Four healthy female subjects aged 21-22, were recruited from Queen Margaret University. The participants attended three consecutive tests days, where they each consumed a portion of white pasta with a basic tomato sauce. The study measured post prandial glucose responses via the blood and saliva after the consumption of three pasta meals; freshly prepared pasta, pasta that had been chilled in fridge overnight and pasta that had been chilled and then reheated. Blood and salivary glucose responses where both measured at baseline and at 15, 30, 45, 75 and 120 minute intervals, post consumption of the test meal. One way ANOVAs with Bonferonni post hoc corrections were used to determine significant differences. Results Analysis of the blood glucose data using one way ANOVA revealed that there was no significant difference between the preparation methods. Blood glucose analysis determined that the highest peak was observed following consumption of the reheated pasta. Furthermore, no significant differences were observed between the preparation methods and the salivary glucose responses. Conclusions The findings of this study suggest that consuming chilled or reheated pasta instead of freshly prepared pasta does not produce a lower spike in blood glucose concentrations when tested on healthy individuals. For firm conclusions to be reached further studies must be carried out with a higher number of subject participants.