Method of Food Preparation Influences Blood Glucose Response to a High-Carbohydrate Meal: A Randomised Cross-over Trial

Abstract

The aim of this study was to establish the blood glucose response to different cooking methods of pasta. Participants consumed three identical meals in a random order that were freshly cooked (hot), cooled and reheated. Blood glucose concentrations were assessed before, and every 15 min after ingestion of each meal for 120 min. There was a significant interaction between temperature and time (F ( 8.46 – 372.34 ) = 2.75, p = 0.005), with the reheated (90 min) condition returning to baseline faster than both cold (120 min) and hot conditions. Blood glucose area under the curve (AUC) was significantly lower in the reheated (703 ± 56 mmol·L−1·min−1) than the hot condition (735 ± 77 mmol·L−1·min−1, t ( 92 ) = −3.36, pbonferroni = 0.003), with no significant difference with the cold condition (722 ± 62 mmol·L−1·min−1). To our knowledge, the current study is the first to show that reheating pasta causes changes in post-prandial glucose response, with a quicker return to fasting levels in both the reheated and cooled conditions than the hot condition. The mechanisms behind the changes in post-prandial blood glucose seen in this study are most likely related to changes in starch structure and how these changes influence glycaemic response.