Functional Carbohydrates as Innovative Food Ingredients in Diabetes Management: A Succinct Review

Abstract

The current upsurge in the incidence of type-2 diabetes as an essentially worldwide public health crisis can be attributed to increasing urbanization, environmental changes, and a shift in employment from heavy to sedentary work with increased automobile use, computerization, and mechanization. To curb the menace and mitigate the prevalence of diabetes, glucose regulation is essential, as high blood sugar levels raise susceptibility to developing type-2 diabetes and its attendant consequences, including cardiovascular disease, nephropathy, neuropathy, angiopathy, and other conditions. Functional carbohydrate intake represents one of the best dietary strategies employed in the management of type-2 diabetes mellitus because it is an affordable, food-sourced, and effective approach that is currently generating research interest. While the efficacy of functional carbohydrates, including dietary fibers, in managing diseases is well established, there remains a significant gap in knowledge regarding their roles in regulating blood sugar and diabetes, as well as the underlying mechanisms of their actions. Therefore, this study aims to explore the role of functional carbohydrates as potential food ingredients in diabetes management. This study comprises a systematic review of pertinent articles published from 2017 to 2024, utilizing two primary online databases, namely, Google Scholar and the PubMed database, alongside additional resources such as ScienceDirect. The findings of this study indicate that functional carbohydrates serve as highly effective food ingredients for managing and regulating blood glucose via various mechanisms, including glycemic control, improved insulin secretion and sensitivity, modification of the gut microbiota, weight management, and enhanced lipid metabolism.