Abstract
Glycative stress is a concept that refers to a state in which aldehydes, mainly derived from reducing sugars, lipids, and alcohol are excessively produced in the body, leading to aging and age-related diseases. Since the persistence of postprandial hyperglycemia contributes to increased glycative stress, understanding the impact of dietary carbohydrates on postprandial blood glucose levels is crucial for counting glycative stress. Many confectioneries, being very sweet and rich in sugar and lipids, are habitually consumed as snacks or desserts with beverages. This study examined the effects of Yokan (a type of Japanese confectionery) on blood glucose levels when ingested with a beverage, aiming to evaluate the impact of consuming Japanese confectionery on glycative stress.
The subjects were 21 healthy men and women aged 20-30 years who provided written consent to participate in the study. They did not meet any exclusion criteria and were selected based on selection criteria in a pre-test involving the ingestion of glucose water (reference food). The test foods included glucose water (test food A) as the reference, and Yokan with various beverages: water (B), green tea 1 (C), green tea 2 (D), guava leaf tea (E), and coffee (F). Each contained 50g of carbohydrates, and the blood glucose level changes were monitored. The test was conducted using a FreeStyle Libre Pro, which measured the glucose concentration in the interstitial fluid of the skin tissue as an indicator of blood glucose level. Blood glucose levels were collected before consuming the test food multiple times over the next 120 minutes. The blood glucose change, maximum blood glucose concentration (ΔCmax), and incremental area under curve (iAUC) were measured and evaluated. The iAUC and ΔCmax after consuming the test foods B to F were lower compared to test food A. No differences in iAUC and ΔCmax were observed between the different beverages. The subjects were divided into three groups (H, M, L) based on the highest ΔCmax after consuming test food B, and differences in iAUC and ΔCmax after consuming the test foods were analyzed as a subclass analysis. In group H, the ΔCmax was smaller after consuming test food C compared to A, B, D, and E. The iAUC in group H was smaller after consuming test foods B, C, and F than A. Consuming Yokan, regardless of the type of beverage, resulted in a smaller increase in postprandial blood glucose levels compared to consuming glucose water. In group H, the suppression of blood glucose rise differed depending on the type of beverage consumed with Yokan, and beverages (C and F) had a strong effect on suppressing the rise in ΔCmax. Consuming Yokan with a beverage may be an effective method to reduce glycative stress caused by glucose spikes.
