Red sorghum pasta improves postprandial glycaemia, energy intake

The addition of red sorghum to pasta appears to induce a decrease in glycaemia, a favourable change in appetite parameters, and a reduction in energy intake, suggests a study.

Twenty healthy individuals participated in this randomized crossover study and consumed three isocaloric test meals (each providing 50 g available carbohydrates) as breakfast: control pasta (CP) made from 100-percent durum wheat, 30-percent red sorghum pasta (RSP), and 30-percent white sorghum pasta (WSP).

The researchers measured blood glucose and subjective appetite postprandially for 2 and 3 h, respectively, as well as energy intakes from ad libitum lunch consumed 3 h after breakfast and for the remainder of the day. Finally, they calculated the incremental areas under or over the curves (iAUCs/aAOCs) for blood glucose and appetite parameters.

Participants who consumed the RSP meal showed a significantly lower blood glucose response (–0.35 mmol/l, 95 percent confidence interval [CI], –0.61 to –0.09; p=0.005) and glucose iAUC over 120 min (–36.11 mmol/l x min, 95 percent CI, –67.11 to –5.11; p=0.017) than those who consumed the CP meal.

The RSP group also had a significantly higher satiety iAUC (1,219.46 mm x min, 95 percent CI, 91.18–2,347.75; p=0.029), lower hunger iAOC (–1,410.47 mm x min, 95 percent CI, –2,438.30 to –382.63; p=0.004), and lower prospective food intake iAOC (–1,645.73 mm x min, 95 percent CI, –2,599.97 to –691.49; p<0.001) than the CP group.

Furthermore, energy intake at ad libitum lunch was significantly lower following the RSP mean compared with the CP meal (–794.17 kJ, 95 percent CI, –1,274.77 to –313.57; p=0.001).