Post-Prandial Responses to Different Bread Products Based on Wheat, Barley and Fenugreek or Ginger or Both in Healthy Volunteers and Their Effect on the Glycemic Index of Such Products

Background: Consumption of a diet with a low glycemic index (GI) rich in dietary fiber can help for the management of postprandial blood glucose (PBG) level in normal subjects. Incorporation of whole grain barley rich in β-glucan, fenugreek and ginger as part of a balanced diet offers a variety of health benefits. The purpose of the present work was to evaluate the effect of bread products containing wheat, barley and fenugreek or ginger or both on postprandial blood glucose in healthy subjects, and to determine their Glycemic index values. All bread products were evaluated for their acceptance value. Results: All bread products induced significantly lower PBG responses (p<0.05) than did the reference bread, suggesting that the naturally occurring soluble dietary fiber in these blends had an impact on glucose tolerance with glycemic indices ranging from 38 to 52. Conclusion: The present study suggests that barley wheat fenugreek ginger bread (BWFGb) could be a replacement food of white wheat bread since it provides a healthy and easily digestible carbohydrate diet that can help to maintain PBG level within a normal range in healthy and diabetic patients. [Journal of American Science. 2010;6(10):89-96]. (ISSN: 1545-1003).