Suppressive effect of doughnuts baked with barley bran obtained by a novel milling method on postprandial blood glucose and insulin levels

Abstract

In this study, we developed a functional sweet that has a suppressive effect on plasma glucose elevation while taking the taste characteristics of barley bran obtained through a novel milling method, as well as preference, into account. The experiment was conducted with 10 healthy female subjects using a within-subject, cross-over study design. Baked doughnuts were made using barley bran (test sweet) and wheat flour (control sweet). Compared with the control, once baked doughnuts with barley bran were consumed, there was a reduction in peak plasma glucose elevation and insulin secretion (p ＜ 0.05), as well as a significantly lower area under the curve (p ＜ 0.05). According to sensory evaluation results, no significant difference in subjects’ preference for baked doughnuts was observed across all items. The findings imply that highly appealing sweets may aid in the prevention of lifestyle-related diseases such as type 2 diabetes.