Baseline clinical characteristics
20 participants were randomised and 18 completed all meal tests. One participant was excluded since no intravenous access could be obtained and one dropped out due to personal reasons. Table 1 presents baseline clinical characteristics of the 18 completing participants.
72% of the participants were female; average age was 61 years (± SEM: 2.7); average HbA1c was 50 mmol/mol (± SEM: 1.1); and average BMI was 31 kg/m2 (± SEM: 1.1).
Bread fibre and starch content
Table 2 presents bread analyses for total fibre, total starch, RDS, SDS and RS content in the four bread types. Total fibre content for 50% AmOn were increased by 14%, 9%, and 5% compared with 100% wheat, 50% or 75% hulless barley bread (P < 0.05), respectively. Total fibre content for 50% and 75% hulless barley compared with 100% wheat was increased by 5% and 9%, respectively (P < 0.05). Total starch content for 50% AmOn was decreased by 15%, 10%, and 7% (P < 0.05) compared with 100% wheat, 50% or 75% hulless barley, respectively. The total starch content for 100% wheat was increased by 5% and 8% compared with 50% and 75% hulless barley, respectively (P < 0.05). The RS content analysed by in vitro digestion protocol increased by 22%, 13%, and 10%, respectively, for 50% AmOn compared with 100% wheat, 50% or 75% hulless barley (P < 0.05). RS content was increased by 9% and 12% after 50% and 75% hulless barley, respectively, compared with 100% wheat (P < 0.05). The total amount of carbohydrate was similar in the four bread types with 77%, 78%, 77% and 76% of dry weight for wheat, 50% hulless, 75% hulless and 50% AmOn bread, respectively (P < 0.05).
Plasma glucose, insulin and glucagon responses
Plasma concentrations of glucose, insulin and glucagon are presented as mean changes (± SEM) from baseline in percentage together with the postprandial response in absolute terms given as incremental area under curve (iAUC) are presented in Figure 1.
Postprandial glucose responses (iAUCs) for 50% AmOn were reduced by 34% (248 mmol/L*240 min (95% CI: 175, 321; P < 0.001)), 27% (194 mmol/L*240 min (95% CI: 121, 267; P < 0.001)) and 23% (167 mmol/L*240 min (95% CI: 93, 240; P < 0.001) compared with 100% wheat, 50% or 75% hulless barley flour bread, respectively.
Postprandial glucose response was reduced by 11% (81 mmol/L*240 min (95% CI: 8, 155; P = 0.030)) for bread made with 75% hulless barley compared with that of 100% wheat flour bread.
Glucose peaks compared to fasting glucose for bread made with 50% AmOn were 1.5 mmol/L (95% CI: 0.9, 2.0; P < 0.001), 1.4 mmol/L (95% CI; 0.9, 2.0; P < 0.001) and 1.0 mmol/L (95% CI; 0.4, 1.5; P = 0.001) lower than breads made with 100% wheat, 50% or 75% hulless barley, respectively.
Postprandial insulin responses (iAUCs) were reduced by 24% (7.7 nmol/L * 240 min (95% CI; 0.5, 14.9; P = 0.035)) and 35% (13.3 nmol/L * 240 min (95% CI: 6.2, 20.5; P < 0.001)) for 50% AmOn compared with 100% wheat and 50% hulless barley, respectively. Postprandial insulin did not differ between wheat and 50% hulless barley (P = 0.121) or between wheat and 75% hulless barley (P = 0.422). However, insulin was reduced by 22% (8.5 nmol/L * 240 min (95% CI; 1.3, 15.7; P = 0.021)) for 75% hulless barley compared with 50% hulless barley.
Postprandial glucagon responses (iAUCs) were reduced for 50% AmOn and 75% hulless barley by 215 pmol/L * 240 min (95% CI: 75, 355; P = 0.003) and 156 pmol/L *240 min (95% CI: 16, 297; P = 0.030), respectively compared to 100% wheat.
GIP and GLP-1 responses
In Figure 2 we present concentrations of GIP and GLP-1 as mean changes (± SEM) from baseline in percentage, together with the postprandial iAUC responses.
After intake of test meals based on AmOn flour iAUCs for GIP were reduced by 4.6 nmol/L * 240 min (95% CI: 3.0, 6.2; P < 0.001), 3.2 nmol/L * 240 min (95% CI: 1.6, 4.9; P < 0.001) and 1.8 nmol/L * 240 min (95% CI: 0.2, 3.4; P = 0.032) compared to 100% wheat, 50% hulless barley and 75% hulless barley, respectively. 75% hulless barley reduced the postprandial GIP response by 2.8 nmol/L * 240 min (95% CI: 1.2, 4.5; P = 0.001) compared with 100% wheat.
The postprandial GLP-1 responses did not differ among the four test meals (P > 0.05).
FFA and TG responses
Changes in concentrations of FFA and TG as mean changes (± SEM) from baseline in percentage together with the postprandial responses as incremental area under curve (iAUC) are presented in Figure 2. The postprandial TG iAUC responses did not differ among the four test meals (P > 0.05). The postprandial FFA responses were suppressed after alle four diets, but more after 100% wheat compared to 50% hulless barley and 50% AmOn, by 19.0 mmol/L*240 min (95% CI: 1.3, 37.0; P = 0.036) and 20.8 mmol/L*240 min (95% CI: 3.0, 38.7; P = 0.023), respectively. No difference in postprandial FFA suppression was seen between wheat and 75% hulless barley (P = 0.566).