Polysaccharide gums: their modulation of carbohydrate and lipid metabolism and role in the treatment of diabetes mellitus

Abstract It is well known that the addition of polysaccharide gums, such as guar gum, to a carbohydrate meal reduces post-prandial hyperglycaemia in healthy and diabetic subjects. Moreover, diabetic patients administered these gums with their normal diet have shown significant long-term improvements in glycaemic control and lipid metabolism. Improved glycaemic control and a reduction in plasma cholesterol are thought to lessen the risk of developing the late complications of diabetes (e.g. cardiovascular disease, nephropathy). The physiological activity of gums depend on their capacity to increase digesta viscosity in the stomach and small intestine. Dietary supplements of polysaccharide gum in solution are extremely unpalatable. To improve palatability, pharmaceutical preparations have been designed to hydrate slowly when mixed with a drink and thus reduce viscosity in the mouth. However, some of these were found to be clinically ineffective. The efficacy of gums can be improved by incorporating them into foods. Recently, novel plant foods, rich in non-starch polysaccharides, have been studied and found to have marked therapeutic properties. A soluble extract of one of these, a leguminous food from Africa, appears to have similar rheological properties to that of guar gum.