Inverse association between the effect of carbohydrates on blood glucose and subsequent short-term food intake in young men.

Background: A primary mechanism by which carbohydrates are thought to regulate satiety and food intake is through their effect on blood glucose.

Objectives: The objectives were to describe the effect of defined carbohydrate preloads on food intake and blood glucose and to determine the association between food intake and blood glucose.

Design: Three experiments were conducted in which selected carbohydrates as 1255-kJ isovolumetric beverages were administered to young men after an overnight fast. Measurements of blood glucose and appetite were made at specified times during the next 60 min. Food intake was measured at 60 min.

Results: Glucose resulted in the highest glycemic response, which was followed, in order, by the responses to polycose, sucrose, amylopectin, a fructose-glucose mixture, and amylose. The high-glycemic-index preloads (glucose, polycose, and sucrose) resulted in lower mealtime energy intake during a test meal at 1 h, but the low-glycemic-index preloads (amylose, amylopectin, and a fructose-glucose mixture) did not. An inverse relation was observed between the blood glucose concentrations in the area under the curve and the subjective appetite (r = -0.23, P < 0.05) and food intake at 60 min (r = -0.24, P < 0.05).

Conclusions: Food intake and subjective appetite are inversely associated with blood glucose response in the 60 min after consumption of carbohydrates. Carbohydrates with a high glycemic index (glucose, polycose, and sucrose) suppress subjective appetite and food intake in the short term, but those with a low glycemic index (amylose and amylopectin) do not.