A Food Portfolio of specific food structures for glycaemic control
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Will a food portfolio that aims to maintain food structure have positive effects on postprandial glucose in patients living with type 2 diabetes?
IRAS ID
292599
Contact name
Gary Frost
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Imperial College London
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 3 months, 2 days
Research summary
There are more than 3 million people in the UK living with type II diabetes (T2D). T2D develops over a lifetime and individual risk is influenced by biological and environmental factors. T2D occurs when the body becomes resistant to hormone that controls blood sugar levels. This means blood sugar levels are out of range for a long time after a meal has been eaten. Managing changes in sugar levels throughout the day is important to reduce the risk of complications.
Lay Summary of Results
The study, titled “Will a food portfolio that aims to maintain food structure have positive effects on postprandial glucose in patients living with type 2 diabetes?” was sponsored by Imperial College London and funded by Imperial College London and the Imperial Health Charity. The investigators involved in this project have no competing interests.
Patient and public involvement for this study consisted of 4 public involvement panels with 20 individuals with T2D. These participants informed the research and menu design for the study. Each group participated in an hour-long structured discussion around their experiences with T2D and their opinions on acceptable diets and study design.
The study took place at the Imperial Clinical Research Centre in London. The research is warranted because many individuals with T2D struggle to control their blood glucose responses, using food as an accessible intervention to improve blood glucose control may improve the life quality for those living with T2D. We wanted to know whether a portfolio of foods higher in resistant starch and enhanced food structures would improve blood glucose responses, compared with a normal UK diet.
14 individuals with T2D participated in the study. As the study had a randomised-controlled crossover design, all participants consumed a menu of high-resistant starch foods and a control menu. A continuous glucose monitor was worn for both study visits so blood glucose measurements could be taken every 5 minutes. None of the participants had adverse reactions to the food products or the blood glucose monitors. We identified no significant differences in blood glucose responses between the two diets and there were no significant differences in any of the other outcomes.Has the registry been updated to include summary results?: No
If yes - please enter the URL to summary results:
If no – why not?: not on a registry.
Did you follow your dissemination plan submitted in the IRAS application form (Q A51)?: Pending
If yes, describe or provide URLs to disseminated materials:
If pending, date when dissemination is expected: 01/07/2025
If no, explain why you didn't follow it:
Have participants been informed of the results of the study?: Pending
If yes, describe and/or provide URLs to materials shared and how they were shared:
If pending, date when feedback is expected: 01/07/2025
If no, explain why they haven't:
Have you enabled sharing of study data with others?: No
If yes, describe or provide URLs to how it has been shared:
If no, explain why sharing hasn't been enabled: Analysis of all trial outcomes not yet complete.
Have you enabled sharing of tissue samples and associated data with others?: No
If yes, describe or provide a URL:
If no, explain why: Analysis of all trial outcomes not yet complete.Some food structures and types of carbohydrate do not cause a large increase in blood sugar after a meal. In recent years, many new methods to change food structure to improve blood sugar have been developed. When carbohydrates are more difficult or impossible, to digest, blood sugar does not rise as much. This type of carbohydrate is maintained or increased through specific processing, cooking and storage methods or by selecting specific food structures.
This study aims to invite 16 participants with T2D to the NIHR Imperial Clinical Research Facility (ICRF). The participants will eat two versions of a menu, one will be made with food structures to improve blood sugar levels and one that is similar to the current UK diet (control). Acceptability and taste of the experimental menu will be measured to find out if these food structures could be ‘swapped’ for less healthy alternatives in the participant’s normal diet. Participants will be asked to come for a screening visit, a visit to insert the blood sugar monitor and two 8-hour study visits. At the study visits blood, breath and urine samples taken and blood sugar monitored throughout the visit.
The results will inform the design of dietary portfolio to manage blood glucose levels for individuals with T2D.
REC name
London - Stanmore Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
21/PR/0563
Date of REC Opinion
14 Jun 2021
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion