The Role of Soluble Corn Fiber on Glycemic and Insulin Response

Increasing prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in Asia has prompted the exploration of dietary fibers as an ingredient to attenuate glycemic response (GR). This study aims to compare the effects of replacing 50% of total carbohydrate with soluble corn fiber (SCF) or maltodextrin on the GR and insulin response (IR). In this randomized cross-over study, twenty-two healthy Chinese males aged between 21–60 years were recruited. The participants consumed glucose beverages and four test meals comprising SCF or maltodextrin in glutinous rice or as a drink. Repeated-measure ANOVA was used to compare the incremental area under the curve values of glucose (iAUGC) and insulin (iAUIC) of all the foods. Relative response (RR) of the beverages were also calculated and compared using paired t-test. SCF treatments had significantly lower iAUGC (p-value < 0.05) and iAUIC (p-value < 0.001) as compared to all treatments. Both treatments (rice and beverage) of maltodextrin were not significantly different from glucose (p-value > 0.05). Maltodextrin beverage had significantly increased postprandial GR and insulin secretion by 20% and 40%, respectively, when compared to SCF beverage (p-value < 0.001). This study shows that the inclusion of SCF into the diet is beneficial in controlling the postprandial GR. Replacing total carbohydrates with SCF effectively lowers GR and IR.