Effect of wholegrain flour particle size in bread on glycaemic and insulinaemic response among people with risk factors for type 2 diabetes: A randomised crossover trial

Abstract

Wholegrain flour produced by roller-milling is predominantly comprised of fine particles, while stoneground flour tends to have a comparatively smaller proportion of fine particles. Differences in flour particle size distribution can affect postprandial glycaemia in people with type 2 diabetes and postprandial insulinaemia in people with and without type 2 diabetes. No prior studies have investigated the effect of wholegrain flour particle size distribution on glycaemic or insulinae-mic response among people with impaired glucose tolerance or risk factors for type 2 diabetes. In a randomised crossover study, we tested the 180-min acute glycaemic and insulinaemic responses to three wholegrain breads differing in flour particle size and milling method: (1) fine roller-milled flour, (2) fine stoneground flour, and (3) coarse stoneground flour. Participants (n = 23) were males and females with risk factors for type 2 diabetes (age 55–75 y, BMI >28 kg/m2, completing less than 150 min moderate to vigorous intensity activity per week). Each test meal provided 50 g available carbohydrate, and test foods were matched for energy and macronutrients. There was no significant difference in blood glucose iAUC (incremental area under the curve) between the coarse stone-ground flour bread and the fine stoneground flour bread (mean difference −20.8 (95% CI: −51.5, 10.0) mmol·min/L) and between the coarse stoneground flour bread and the fine roller-milled flour bread (mean difference −23.3 (95% CI: −57.6, 11.0) mmol·min/L). The mean difference in insulin iAUC for fine stoneground flour bread compared with the fine roller-milled flour bread was −6.9% (95% CI: −20.5%, 9.2%) and compared with the coarse stoneground flour bread was 9.9% (95% CI: −2.6%, 23.9%). There was no evidence of an effect of flour particle size on postprandial glycaemia and in-sulinaemia among older people with risk factors for type 2 diabetes, most of whom were normo-glycaemic.