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Background: Health authorities are near universal in their recommendation to replace sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) with water. Non-nutritive sweetened beverages (NSBs) are not as widely recommended as a replacement strategy due to a lack of established benefits and concerns they may induce glucose intolerance through changes in the gut microbiome. The STOP Sugars NOW trial aims to assess the effect of the substitution of NSBs (the “intended substitution”) versus water (the “standard of care substitution”) for SSBs on glucose tolerance and microbiota diversity. Design and Methods: The STOP Sugars NOW trial (NCT03543644) is a pragmatic, “head-to-head”, open-label, crossover, randomized controlled trial conducted in an outpatient setting. Participants were overweight or obese adults with a high waist circumference who regularly consumed ≥1 SSBs daily. Each participant completed three 4-week treatment phases (usual SSBs, matched NSBs, or water) in random order, which were separated by ≥4-week washout. Blocked randomization was performed centrally by computer with allocation concealment. Outcome assessment was blinded; however, blinding of participants and trial personnel was not possible. The two primary outcomes are oral glucose tolerance (incremental area under the curve) and gut microbiota beta-diversity (weighted UniFrac distance). Secondary outcomes include related markers of adiposity and glucose and insulin regulation. Adherence was assessed by objective biomarkers of added sugars and non-nutritive sweeteners and self-report intake. A subset of participants was included in an Ectopic Fat sub-study in which the primary outcome is intrahepatocellular lipid (IHCL) by 1H-MRS. Analyses will be according to the intention to treat principle. Baseline results: Recruitment began on 1 June 2018, and the last participant completed the trial on 15 October 2020. We screened 1086 participants, of whom 80 were enrolled and randomized in the main trial and 32 of these were enrolled and randomized in the Ectopic Fat sub-study. The participants were predominantly middle-aged (mean age 41.8 ± SD 13.0 y) and had obesity (BMI of 33.7 ± 6.8 kg/m2) with a near equal ratio of female: male (51%:49%). The average baseline SSB intake was 1.9 servings/day. SSBs were replaced with matched NSB brands, sweetened with either a blend of aspartame and acesulfame-potassium (95%) or sucralose (5%). Conclusions: Baseline characteristics for both the main and Ectopic Fat sub-study meet our inclusion criteria and represent a group with overweight or obesity, with characteristics putting them at risk for type 2 diabetes. Findings will be published in peer-reviewed open-access medical journals and provide high-level evidence to inform clinical practice guidelines and public health policy for the use NSBs in sugars reduction strategies. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier, NCT03543644.

Using cross-sectional data from the 2015 Canadian Community Health Survey–Nutrition, we aimed to identify and characterize the top 10 most frequently consumed plant-based foods and red/processed meat dishes in the Canadian population. Plant-based foods and red/processed meat dishes categories included 659 and 265 unique food codes, respectively, from the Canadian Nutrient File. A total of 20,176 Canadian individuals aged ≥1 year were included in our analysis. The most frequently consumed plant-based food was “Cooked regular long-grain white rice”, which made a significant contribution to energy (12.1 ± 0.3%) and protein (6.1 ± 0.2%) intake among consumers. The most frequently consumed red/processed meat dish in Canada was “Cooked regular, lean or extra lean ground beef or patty”. Among red/processed meat dishes, “ham and cheese sandwich with lettuce and spread” made the most significant contribution to the intake of energy (21.8 ± 0.7%), saturated fat (31.0 ± 1.0%), sodium (41.8 ± 1.3%), and sugars (8.2 ± 0.5%) among the consumers. Ground beef is the most frequently consumed red/processed meat dish and white rice is the most frequently consumed plant-based food among Canadians. Red/processed meat dishes are major drivers of the excessive intake of nutrients-to-limit.

The mechanism by which high fat-diet induced obesity affects cardiac protein expression is unclear, and the extent to which this is modulated by prebiotic treatment is not known. These outcomes were assessed in rats initially fed a high-fat diet, then the top 40% weight gain group were randomly allocated to control (CON), high-fat (HF) and HF supplemented with fructooligosaccharide (32 g, HF-FOS) treatments for 12 weeks (n = 10/group). At sacrifice, left ventricles were either frozen or preserved in formalin. Serum was stored for glucose and insulin measurements. Protein spectra was obtained using an Orbitrap analyzer, processed with Sequest and fold changes assessed with Scaffold Q +. Treatment effects for body weights, glucose and insulin were assessed using one-way ANOVA, and the differential protein expression was assessed by a Mann&ndash, Whitney U test. The Database for Annotation, Visualization and Integrated Discovery and the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes identified pathways containing overrepresented proteins. Hematoxylin and eosin sections were graded for hypertrophy and also quantified, differences were identified using Chi-square analyses and Mann-Whitney U tests. HF diet fed rats were significantly (p &lt, 0.05) heavier than CON, and 23 proteins involved in mitochondrial function and lipid metabolism were differentially expressed between HF and CON. Between HF-FOS and HF, 117 proteins involved in contractility, lipid and carbohydrate metabolism were differentially expressed. HF cardiomyocytes were significantly (p &lt, 0.05) more hypertrophic than CON. We conclude that high-fat feeding and FOS are associated with subcellular deviations in cardiac metabolism and contractility, which may influence myocardial function and alter the risk of cardiovascular disease.

This study adapted the established glycemic index (GI) methodology used in human research to perform two studies in sled dogs in order to assess the blood glucose-raising potential of pulse-based dog foods. The first was a pilot study (n = 6 dogs) to determine the GI of single starch sources (white bread, cooked white rice, and cooked green lentils) using a glucose solution as control. Next, the effect on glycemic and insulinemic meal responses and GI of commercial extruded dog foods containing different categories of starch sources (traditional grain, whole grain, grain-free, and vegan) were investigated on 11 dogs using a glucose control. Results were compared using repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA). Consumption of 10 g of available carbohydrate (Av CHO) was insufficient to elicit a measurable response in blood glucose for GI determination, and as such, the amount was increased to 25 g for the second study. The GI (±SE) of the single starch sources and dog foods was: white bread: 47 ± 11, cooked white rice: 71 ± 14, cooked green lentils: 60 ± 20 (P = 0.569), traditional grain: 83 ± 17, whole grain: 56 ± 8, grain-free: 41 ± 6, and vegan: 65 ± 15 (P = 0.154). No statistical differences in glycemic response over time were observed between the single starch sources or the extruded diets tested (P = 0.1412; P = 0.2651). The insulinemic response elicited by the extruded diets was also not different (P = 0.079); however, the traditional grain diet did have the slowest time to peak for insulin (P = 0.0078). Among single starch sources and extruded dog foods, there were no differences in the glycemic indices measured in this study. The GI methodology has not been validated for use in canine species, and it is likely that our results were due to higher interindividual variation or inadequate study power. Regardless, this study will serve to better define future studies to investigate the potential physiological benefits of low GI foods for dogs.

Proximate composition and starch nutritional properties of twenty cooked lentils were assessed to identify unique varieties that could be used in value added foods. Significant variations exist among the lentil varieties (p &lt, 0.05) with respect to their energy, fat, protein, carbohydrate, and dietary fiber content, and these are related to lentil type and seed size. Dazil and Greenstar were unique for their high resistant starch content (RS) and lower area under the starch hydrolysis curve (SHAUC) while Proclaim was opposite. SHAUC was positively correlated (p &lt, 0.001) with rapidly digestible starch (RDS) content (r = 0.626) but negatively correlated with RS content (r = &minus, 0.635). Principal component analysis showed that the first three principal components accounted for 62.8% of the total variance and the contribution of SHAUC was 33.2%. These results confirm that in vitro SHAUC and a combination of RDS and RS may be predictive of the digestibility profile of cooked lentils.

The bioaccessibility, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities of phenolics in a cooked green lentil (Lens culinaris) (cultivar Greenland) was studied using a simulated upper gastrointestinal (UGI) digestion model combined with chemical- and cell- based antioxidant assays. The amount of released soluble phenolics increased stepwise from gastric to intestinal digestion phase. The bioaccessibility of phenolics ranged from 27 to 67% after UGI digestion. Flavonols were the main phenolic group and were found to remain relatively stable during UGI digestion. Flavanols were mainly released after intestinal digestion as opposed to phenolic acids which were mainly released from food matrix in the gastric phase (21–45%) but not detected following intestinal digestion. Phenolics of the nondigested lentil showed dose dependent anti-inflammatory activity as seen in significant inhibition of the pro-inflammatory cytokines COX-2, IL-1β and IL-6 in TNF-α-induced inflammation in Caco-2 cells. The Antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities were positively correlated with the total and individual phenolic contents.

To quantitate bioactive compounds in cooked cultivars of commercially available Canadian pulses, 14 peas, lentils, beans, and chickpeas were analyzed for total polyphenol content (TPC), antioxidant activity (DPPH, FRAP and ORAC) and fatty acid, carotenoid and tocopherol content. On a dry weight (DW) basis, cooked pulses contained (mean ± SD) 1.65 ± 0.10–8.39 ± 0.03% lipids; 22.5 ± 0.6–170.5 ± 2.0 μg/g total tocopherols, primarily γ-tocopherols (80–96%); 4.21 ± 0.40–20.26 ± 2.43 μg/g total carotenoids with lutein being the primary carotenoid (78–87%) then zeaxanthin (6–17%). TPC ranged from 1.16 ± 0.07 to 7.45 ± 0.69 mg gallic acid equivalents/g DW. TPC was significantly correlated with DPPH (r = 0.688, p = 0.006), FRAP (r = 0.881, p

The bioaccessibility, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities of phenolics in a cooked green lentil (Lens culinaris) (cultivar Greenland) was studied using a simulated upper gastrointestinal (UGI) digestion model combined with chemical- and cell- based antioxidant assays. The amount of released soluble phenolics increased stepwise from gastric to intestinal digestion phase. The bioaccessibility of phenolics ranged from 27 to 67% after UGI digestion. Flavonols were the main phenolic group and were found to remain relatively stable during UGI digestion. Flavanols were mainly released after intestinal digestion as opposed to phenolic acids which were mainly released from food matrix in the gastric phase (21–45%) but not detected following intestinal digestion. Phenolics of the nondigested lentil showed dose dependent anti-inflammatory activity as seen in significant inhibition of the pro-inflammatory cytokines COX-2, IL-1β and IL-6 in TNF-α-induced inflammation in Caco-2 cells. The Antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities were positively correlated with the total and individual phenolic contents.

Celiac disease and gluten sensitivities, as well as obesity and overweight-related disorders, have led to the investigation of gluten-free grains and development of new food products. To address this, refined proso millet and refined corn (control), both gluten-free grains, were used to produce four different product types (muffin, couscous, extruded snack, and porridge). The products contained four different grain combinations (100% proso millet, 75% proso millet/25% corn, 25% proso millet/75% corn, and 100% corn). All products were evaluated for their nutritional composition, in vitro starch digestibility, and expected glycemic index (eGI). Products made with refined proso millet had increased protein (7.6–11.3%), lipid (1.2–6.1%), fiber (7.0–8.8%), and phenolic content (323.5–425 μg/g) compared with those incorporating corn flour (2.5–9.0%, 0.8–4.0%, 2.1–4.1%, and 213–315 μg/g, respectively). As the proso millet content increased, the eGI decreased significantly (P < 0.05). Products made from refined p...

Consumption of pulses is associated with many health benefits by mechanisms that are not fully understood. This study sought to identify the starch component(s) in cooked lentils responsible for lowering postprandial glycemic response (PPGR). Rapidly digestible (RDS), slowly digestible (SDS) and resistant starch (RS) content of 20 varieties of cooked lentil were determined by in vitro methods and 8 varieties, representing a linear range of SDS, were chosen for a human trial with 10 participants to determine PPGR and glycemic index (GI). Among the 20 lentil varieties, RS accounted for 35% of the variation of in vitro area under the starch hydrolysis curve (SHAUC) (r = −0.587; p < 0.01), but RDS (r = 0.401; p = 0.080) and SDS (r = −0.022; p = 0.927) were not significantly related to SHAUC. Multiple linear regression of in vitro data resulted in an equation [SHAUCest = 30.9RDS − 63.6RS + 9680] that accounted for 70% of the variance in SHAUC, with SDS excluded due to collinearity. In the human trial all 8 lentils had low GI values (10 to 23). Neither GI nor area under the glucose response curve (AUC) was significantly related to RDS, SDS or RS (minimum p = 0.24). However, SHAUC and SHAUCest, respectively, were related to both GI (r = 0.704, p = 0.051; r = 0.773, p = 0.024) and AUC (r = 0.765, p = 0.027; r = 0.822, p = 0.012). These results confirm that lentils have low GI values, which is not reliably predicted by their RDS, SDS and RS contents when considered individually. However, in vitro SHAUC and a combination of RDS and RS may be predictive of the PPGR of lentils.

The glycemic index (GI) impacts blood glucose levels, insulin sensitivity, and weight management in humans. This study investigated the GI, postprandial glycemic and insulinemic response, and satiety hormones in sled dogs consuming four commercial extruded dog foods containing different carbohydrate sources. The four test diets were classified based on carbohydrate sources: traditional grains (corn, wheat), whole grains (oats, rye), grain-free (peas, lentils) or vegan (no animal ingredients). Each diet was tested once and the control (50% w/vol glucose solution) was tested twice in 11 healthy adult Siberian Huskies in a randomized cross-over design. Each meal and control provided 25g of available carbohydrate. Pre- and postprandial (15, 30, 45, 60, 90, 120, 150, 180, 210, 240, 270, 300, 360, 420 & 480 minutes) blood samples were collected to measure whole blood glucose concentrations using a handheld blood glucose monitor. Serum insulin, ghrelin, gastric inhibitory polypeptide (GIP), glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1), leptin, total peptide tyrosine-tyrosine (PYY), and pancreatic polypeptide (PP) concentrations were analysed using a magnetic bead multiplex assay. This study was approved by the University of Guelph Animal Care Committee (AUP#3650). No differences were detected in GI when compared using an ANOVA with a Turkey-Kramer post-hoc test (p>0.05). The calculated GI for traditional grains was 76.9 ± 18.3 (mean±SEM) while the grain-free diet presented the lowest GI of 50.5 ± 13.1. The whole grain diet and vegan diet had GI values of 60.8 ± 7.4 and 71.4 ± 17.3, respectively. Additionally, there was no effect of diet on postprandial insulinemic response, or any satiety hormones (p>0.05). The lack of observed differences could be related to the gelatinization of starch during extrusion processing. These results suggest that different carbohydrate sources in extruded diets may not have a significant effect on GI or satiety in dogs.

Information on changes in soy isoflavones during processing is needed to better understand the relationship between isoforms, food matrix, bioavailability and health. The abundance and transformation of isoflavones were tracked in soy flour, a baked soy muffin and plasma of hypercholesterolaemic adults (n = 142) who consumed muffins daily for 6 weeks. Isoflavones were identified and quantified in soy flour and muffins by HPLC-UV and in plasma by LC-MS/MS. Equol status was determined and used to assess the relationship between plasma isoflavones and dietary factors. Baking soy flour altered the relative proportion of isoflavone isoforms by promoting a conversion of malonyl- to β-glucosides in soy muffins ( P 0.001). Daily soy consumption resulted in >3-fold increase in plasma isoflavones with a doubling of dose ( P 0.001). Dietary factors did not correlate with plasma isoflavones. These findings may be used to guide the development of soy-based functional foods.

There is an increasing push by consumers for new food products that can provide health benefits. To develop these products, sometimes it is necessary to look to alternative crops, 1 of which is millet. For millet to be successfully adopted by consumers, it is necessary to identify and develop product types that are acceptable to North Americans. Biscuits and extruded snacks were produced using varying amounts of refined proso millet flour (0%, 25%, 75%, and 100%). Sensory analysis was conducted on 8 products (4 types of biscuits and 4 types of extruded snack) in 2 separate tests (1 for biscuits and 1 for snacks). Preferred Attribute Elicitation (PAE), a relatively new sensory method, was used to determine attributes affecting liking of the products. Results indicated that as the amount of millet in the biscuits and extruded snacks increased, the liking of the flavor, texture and overall liking decreased. Millet contributed to a bitter taste and bitter aftertaste, and resulted in gritty and dry food products. Further work is required to refine the products tested as well as to identify further products that can be added to the diet in order to take advantage of the health benefits that millet provides.

Current evidence suggests a link between red and processed meat consumption and the risk of various cancers and other health outcomes. Using national survey data from the Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS)-Nutrition 2015, we aimed to model a dietary scenario to assess the potential effects of increasing the intake of currently consumed plant-based meat alternatives by 100% and decreasing the consumption of red and processed meat by 50% on the diet quality and nutrient intakes of Canadians (&ge, 1 year). This dietary scenario had no significant impact on dietary energy intake (p &gt, 0.05), but resulted in a significant increase in the dietary intakes of fibre, polyunsaturated fatty acids, magnesium, and dietary folate equivalents (p &lt, 0.05). On the other hand, this dietary scenario was accompanied by a significant decrease in protein (from 77.8 &plusmn, 0.6 g to 73.4 &plusmn, 0.6 g), cholesterol, zinc, and vitamin B12 intake (p &lt, 0.05). Further, based on Nutrient Rich Food (NRF) scores, the overall nutritional value of the simulated diet was higher than the baseline diet. Our modeling showed that the partial replacement of red and processed meat with plant-based alternatives improves overall diet quality but may adversely affect the intake of some micronutrients, especially zinc and vitamin B12.

The consumption of pulses is associated with many health benefits. This study assessed post-prandial blood glucose response (PPBG) and the acceptability of food items containing green lentils. In human trials we: (i) defined processing methods (boiling, pureeing, freezing, roasting, spray-drying) that preserve the PPBG-lowering feature of lentils; (ii) used an appropriate processing method to prepare lentil food items, and compared the PPBG and relative glycemic responses (RGR) of lentil and control foods; and (iii) conducted consumer acceptability of the lentil foods. Eight food items were formulated from either whole lentil puree (test) or instant potato (control). In separate PPBG studies, participants consumed fixed amounts of available carbohydrates from test foods, control foods, or a white bread standard. Finger prick blood samples were obtained at 0, 15, 30, 45, 60, 90, and 120 min after the first bite, analyzed for glucose, and used to calculate incremental area under the blood glucose response curve and RGR; glycemic index (GI) was measured only for processed lentils. Mean GI (± standard error of the mean) of processed lentils ranged from 25 ± 3 (boiled) to 66 ± 6 (spray-dried); the GI of spray-dried lentils was significantly (p < 0.05) higher than boiled, pureed, or roasted lentil. Overall, lentil-based food items all elicited significantly lower RGR compared to potato-based items (40 ± 3 vs. 73 ± 3%; p < 0.001). Apricot chicken, chicken pot pie, and lemony parsley soup had the highest overall acceptability corresponding to “like slightly” to “like moderately”. Processing influenced the PPBG of lentils, but food items formulated from lentil puree significantly attenuated PPBG. Formulation was associated with significant differences in sensory attributes.

Increased dietary intake of soy is associated with improved health outcomes, making soy a suitable ingredient for functional foods. However, consumer acceptability of soy-based functional foods is not well understood. This study examined consumer liking of soy flour muffins during repeated exposure and evaluated the impact of a health claim on willingness to consume. Participants (n = 116) consumed two soy or wheat flour muffins daily for 6 weeks and completed weekly questionnaires on sensory liking qualities (overall liking and liking of appearance, aroma, flavor, taste, texture) using 9-point hedonic scales; feeling of fullness using a Visual Analog Scale (VAS); and, adverse symptoms using a checklist. A Food Action (FACT) rating scale was also administered with and without an approved health claim relating soy to a reduction in blood cholesterol, to evaluate its impact on willingness to consume the soy muffins. Results showed that overall liking, liking of appearance, aroma, flavor, taste, texture, and feeling of fullness were significantly higher in the soy muffin compared to wheat muffin group and did not significantly differ among weeks 1–6 within either group. Presence of a health claim significantly increased willingness to consume the soy muffins. This study demonstrates that muffins made from soy flour are acceptable to consumers and that a therapeutic health claim would enhance their acceptability.

Phenolic extracts from 20 Canadian lentil cultivars (Lens culinaris) were evaluated for total phenolic contents and composition, antioxidant activities (DPPH, FRAP, ORAC), and inhibitory properties against α-glucosidase and pancreatic lipase. Twenty one phenolic compounds were identified in the present study, with the majority being flavonoids, including kaempeferol glycosides, catechin/epicatechin glucosides and procyanidins. These phenolic compounds not only contributed significantly to the antioxidant activities, but they were also good inhibitors of α-glucosidase and lipase, two enzymes, respectively, associated with glucose and lipid digestion in the human intestine, thus contributing significantly to the control of blood glucose levels and obesity. More interestingly, it was the flavonols, not the flavanols, which showed the inhibitory activities against α-glucosidase and pancreatic lipase. Our result provides supporting information for developing lentil cultivars and functional foods with improved health benefits and suggests a potential role of lentil consumption in managing weight and control of blood glucose.

The phytochemicals and antioxidant activity in lipophilic and hydrophilic (extractable and bound) fractions of lentils before and after domestic cooking were investigated. The hydrophilic fractions in lentils contributed much more to the antioxidant activity than the lipophilic fraction. The phenolic content of lentils was mainly composed of extractable compounds. Significant changes (P < 0.05) in carotenoid, tocopherol, total phenolic, and condensed tannin contents of both extractable and bound phenolics fractions, as well as in antioxidant activities, were found in lentils before and after cooking. More specifically, cooking was found to favor the release of carotenoids and tocopherols and flavonols (kaempferol glycosides), but led to losses of flavanols (monomeric and condensed tannin). Whereas reduced flavanols and other phenolic compounds may have negatively affected the antioxidant activity, other components, especially the lipophilic antioxidants, were increased. The present study suggests that incorporation of cooked lentils into the diet will not cause significant loss to the phytochemical antioxidants and thus will retain the potential health benefits.

Healthy adults (n30) participated in a placebo-controlled, randomised, double-blinded, cross-over study consisting of two 28 d treatments (β2-1 fructan or maltodextrin; 3×5 g/d) separated by a 14-d washout. Subjects provided 1 d faecal collections at days 0 and 28 of each treatment. The ability of faecal bacteria to metaboliseβ2-1 fructan was common; eighty-seven species (thirty genera, and four phyla) were isolated using anaerobic medium containingβ2-1 fructan as the sole carbohydrate source.β2-1 fructan altered the faecal community as determined through analysis of terminal restriction fragment length polymorphisms and 16S rRNA genes. Supplementation withβ2-1 fructan reduced faecal community richness, and two patterns of community change were observed. In most subjects,β2-1 fructan reduced the content of phylotypes aligning within theBacteroides, whereas increasing those aligning within bifidobacteria,Faecalibacteriumand the family Lachnospiraceae. In the remaining subjects, supplementation increased the abundance of Bacteroidetes and to a lesser extent bifidobacteria, accompanied by decreases within theFaecalibacteriumand family Lachnospiraceae.β2-1 Fructan had no impact on the metagenome or glycoside hydrolase profiles in faeces from four subjects. Few relationships were found between the faecal bacterial community and various host parameters; Bacteroidetes content correlated with faecal propionate, subjects whose faecal community contained higher Bacteroidetes produced more caproic acid independent of treatment, and subjects having lower faecal Bacteroidetes exhibited increased concentrations of serum lipopolysaccharide and lipopolysaccharide binding protein independent of treatment. We found no evidence to support a defined health benefit for the use ofβ2-1 fructans in healthy subjects.

The glycaemic response of millet foods and the effect of processing are not known. Therefore, decorticated proso millet was used to produce four types of common food products (biscuits, couscous, porridge and an extruded snack). Postprandial blood glucose response of these products (all containing 50 g of total starch) was compared to the same foods produced with refined corn, in a crossover human study with 12 healthy male participants (age 26.3 ± 3.8 yr; BMI 23.3 ± 2.8 kg/m2). Capillary blood samples were collected and glycaemic response was determined; differences were assessed using repeat measures ANOVA. Overall, the mean (±SEM) incremental area under the blood glucose response curve (mmol min/l) of the proso millet products was different from the corn products, but individual products (couscous = 66.7 ± 11.6, biscuit = 82.6 ± 13.7, extrudate = 198.7 ± 20.9, porridge = 40.1 ± 5.8) were not significantly lower (couscous = 43.5 ± 5.8, biscuit = 102.0 ± 10.3, extrudate = 198.7 ± 20.9, porridge = 52.2 ± 8.1) (p > .05). Glycaemic response of the products was not dependent on the grain type, but rather product matrix.

The hypocholesterolemic effect of soy is well-documented and this has led to the regulatory approval of a health claim relating soy protein to a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). However, soybeans contain additional components, such as isoflavones, lecithins, saponins and fiber that may improve cardiovascular health through independent mechanisms. This review summarizes the evidence on the cardiovascular benefits of non-protein soy components in relation to known CVD risk factors such as hypertension, hyperglycemia, inflammation, and obesity beyond cholesterol lowering. Overall, the available evidence suggests non-protein soy constituents improve markers of cardiovascular health; however, additional carefully designed studies are required to independently elucidate these effects. Further, work is also needed to clarify the role of isoflavone-metabolizing phenotype and gut microbiota composition on biological effect.

Understanding the profile of lipophilic phytochemicals in lentils is necessary to better understand the health benefits of lentils. The fatty acid, carotenoid and tocopherol compositions and antioxidant activities of the lipophilic extracts of 20 lentil cultivars (10 red and 10 green) were therefore examined. Lentils contained 1.52–2.95% lipids, of which 77.5–81.7% were unsaturated essential fatty acids. Total tocopherols ranged from 37 to 64 μg/g DW, predominantly γ-tocopherol (96–98% of the tocopherol content), followed by δ- and α-tocopherol. trans -Lutein was the primary and major carotenoid (64–78%) followed by trans -zeaxanthin (5–13%). Carotenoids and tocopherols showed weak correlation with 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) activity ( r = 0.4893 and 0.3259, respectively), but good correlation when combined ( r = 0.6688), suggesting they may act synergistically. Carotenoids were found to contribute the most to the strong antioxidant activity measured by photochemiluminescence (PCL) assay. Results from this study contribute to the development of lentil cultivars and related functional foods with increased health benefits.

The cardio-protective effect of soy may be related to isoflavones. Research is needed to determine how isoflavones change during processing and digestion from a raw food ingredient to the biologica...

Soy may reduce cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk by lowering LDL cholesterol (LDL-C), but it is not known whether this health benefit is related to the matrix of soy foods. This study assessed the ...

Integrating information about the glycaemic index (GI) of foods into the Caribbean diet is limited by the lack of data. Therefore, we determined the GI of eight staple foods eaten in the Caribbean and the effect on GI of crushing selected tubers. Groups of eight to ten healthy volunteers participated in three studies at two sites. GI was determined using a standard method with white bread and adjusted relative to glucose. The mean area under the glucose response curve elicited by white bread was similar for the different groups of subjects. In study 1, the GI of cassava (Manihot esculenta; 94 (SEM 11)) was significantly higher than those of breadfruit (Artocarpus altilis; 60 (SEM 9)), cooking ‘green’ banana (Musa spp.; 65 (SEM 11)) and sadha roti (65 (SEM 9)) (P=0·018). There was no significant difference in the GI of the foods in study 2: dasheen (Colocasia esculenta var. esculenta; 77 (SEM 10)), eddoes (Colocasia esculenta var. antiquorum; 61 (SEM 10)), Irish potato (Solanum tuberosum; 71 (SEM 8)), tannia (Xanthosoma sagittifolium; 60 (SEM 5)) and white yam (Dioscorea alata; 62 (SEM 6)), and, in study 3, crushing did not significantly affect the GI of dasheen, tannia or Irish potato. However, when the results from studies 2 and 3 were pooled, the GI of dasheen (76 (SEM 7)) was significantly greater than that of tannia (55 (SEM 5); P=0·015) with potato being intermediate (69 (SEM 6)). We conclude that dasheen and cassava are high-GI foods, whereas the other tubers studied and sadha roti are intermediate-GI foods. Given the regular usage of cassava and dasheen in Caribbean diets we speculate that these diets would tend to be high GI, although this could be reduced by foods such as sadha roti and white yam. The range of GI between the staples is sufficiently large that health benefits may be accrued by replacing high-GI staples with intermediate-GI staples in the Caribbean diet.

In Trinidad and Tobago (TT), diabetes is over two times more common in South Asian (SA) than African (AF) men, with a smaller difference in women. In the USA, high diet glycaemic index (GI) was associated with increased risk of developing diabetes. In TT, dietary intake data are unavailable. The objective of this study was to conduct a pilot survey of the dietary habits of 50 AF and 50 SA subjects in order to develop a valid nutrition survey instrument for use in TT. We hypothesized that diet GI would be lower in AF than SA subjects. We collected 24 h dietary recalls from a sample of adults from TT (26 AF and 33 SA women, and 17 AF and 25 SA men), excluding subjects of mixed or other ethnic backgrounds and those with diabetes or other chronic disorders. AF women were of similar age, but taller and heavier than SA women. There was no significant difference in diet between AF and SA women. AF men were taller than SA men, but of similar age (34 +/- 2 years versus 33 +/- 2 years) and body mass index (24.1 +/- 0.8 kg/m2 versus 23.3 +/- 0.9 kg/m2, respectively). Intakes of energy, fat, protein, carbohydrate and fibre, and diet glycaemic load did not differ significantly, but AF men had a lower diet GI than SA men (56 +/- 1 versus 59 +/- 1, P0.05). Although not conclusive, these results are consistent with previous data suggesting that diet GI may contribute to the development of type 2 diabetes. The data collected during this survey will be useful in developing a food frequency questionnaire for use in TT to allow this hypothesis to be tested more rigorously in this population.

Background: The fat mass and obesity-associated gene (FTO) rs9939609 and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma 2 gene (PPARG2) rs1801282 polymorphisms are type 2 diabetes mellitus susceptibility gene variants associated with obesity. This study examined whether these variants are associated with anthropometry at birth among a representative multi-ethnic sample of Trinidadian neonates. Methods: Cord blood was obtained from consecutive term live births and DNA was genotyped for FTO and PPARG2 variants using polymerase chain reaction. Associations between neonate anthropometry at birth and genotype frequency were assessed using the χ2 test and linear regression. Results: Significant associations were observed between neonate ethnicity and PPARG2 (p = 0.005) and FTO (p = 0.017) variants: high-risk alleles were more prevalent among African than South Asian neonates for both variants. The allelic and genotypic frequencies for mixed neonates were between those for the African and those for the South Asian neonates. No significant relationship was observed between rs9939609 and rs1801282 and anthropometric measures. For both variants, the allelic and genotypic frequencies among the African and South Asian neonates mirrored those found elsewhere for similar ethnic groups. Conclusions: Neonates of African ethnicity possess the highest frequency of rs9939609 and rs1801282 alleles and genotypes; this may be associated with ethnic differences in the risk of lifestyle diseases.

Primary objective: To calculate the nutritional composition of commonly consumed composite dishes in Trinidad in order to analyze dietary intakes obtained using a quantitative food frequency questionnaire developed specifically for the Trinidadian population. Methods and procedures: Multiple weighed versions of each dish were collected from 53 participants throughout Trinidad. Nutritional composition was calculated using NutriBase Clinical Nutrition Manager. Main outcomes and results: A total of 359 recipes were collected for 89 composite dishes: 19 vegetable, 15 starches, 21 meat/meat alternatives, eight seafood, 10 sweets, five beverages, 11 snacks/miscellaneous items. For each dish, the average nutritional composition (energy and 32 macronutrients/micronutrients) was calculated per 100 g. Conclusions: The calculated nutritional composition data of 89 commonly consumed dishes in Trinidad can now be used to assess dietary intakes and determine dietary risk factors for chronic disease.

Polyphenol extracts from coloured fruits and vegetables inhibit α-glucosidase in vitro, however it is not known whether this translates into an attenuation of blood glucose response in vivo. We examined this relationship in a GI study by feeding coloured potatoes to 9 healthy volunteers. We also examined the in vitro inhibitory activity of potato anthocyanin extracts on rat intestinal α-glucosidase. Potatoes (Purple Majesty; Red-Y38; Yukon Gold and Snowden) were fed with skin after cooking in a convection oven, using a random block design and 50 g available carbohydrate. Glucose was used as the standard and venous blood collected at 0, 15, 30, 45, 60, 90, 120 min. Areas under the curve (AUC) for glucose and insulin were calculated, and GI and Insulin Index derived. Neither AUC for blood glucose response nor insulin was significantly different among the various potatoes studied. Although the mean GI (±SE) values for the potato types varied (purple = 77.0 ± 9.0; red = 78.0 ± 14.0; yellow = 81.0 ± 16.0; and white = 93.0 ± 17.0), these differences were not significantly different. The mean (±SE) polyphenol content (mg GAE/100 g DW) was 234 ± 28; 190 ± 15; 108 ± 39; 82 ± 1 for purple, red, yellow and white potatoes, respectively. There was a significant inverse correlation between polyphenol content and GI of the potatoes (r = −0.825; p < 0.05; n = 4). In vitro, polyphenol extracts of red and purple potatoes inhibited α-glucosidase by 37.4 ± 2.2% and 28.7 ± 3.2%, respectively. The GI of coloured potatoes is significantly related to their polyphenol content, possibly mediated through an inhibitory effect of anthocyanins on intestinal α-glucosidase.

A double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized crossover clinical trial involving 30 healthy adults was conducted to examine the impact of fructans on both the gut microbiota and immune system. Along with their regular diet, trial participants consumed either an oligofructose-enriched inulin supplement as the test diet or food grade maltodextrin as the control diet for a 28 day period, with a minimum 2 week washout period before cross-over. The trial supplements were coded as “A” or “B”, and will remain coded until the completion of all analyses. Serum immunoglobulin concentrations were quantified by Luminex multiplexing technology. IgM was significantly higher after 28 days of supplement A consumption (821.3 ng/mL ± 138.3) than after supplement B consumption (485.8 ng/mL ± 66.5) ( P = 0.0118). IgA was also significantly higher ( P = 0.0092) after supplement A consumption (1967.3 ng/mL ± 374.4) than after supplement B consumption (911.7 ng/mL ± 138.2). Active transforming growth factor-beta (TGF- β ) concentration was measured in plasma and serum cytokine concentrations were quantified by Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Levels of active TGF- β were 5.4 pg/mL ± 2.1 after consumption of supplement B, in comparison to 3.4 pg/mL ± 1.5 after supplement A consumption, although this difference was not statistically significant. IL-10 concentrations were significantly lower ( P = 0.0172) after supplement B consumption (41.2 pg/mL ± 29.0) than after supplement A consumption (79.8 pg/mL ± 42.1). Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) levels were also significantly lower ( P = 0.0265) after supplement B consumption (5.4 pg/mL ± 2.5) than levels after supplement A consumption (14.4 pg/mL ± 3.6). No differences were observed between subjects consuming supplement A and B in Interleukin-8 (IL-8) and IL-1Ra concentrations. Analysis of cytokine profiles will provide insight into the extent of the potential effects of dietary fructans on the immune system mediated through the gut microbiota.