Natalie C.
Ward
*ab,
Trevor A.
Mori
b,
Lawrence J.
Beilin
b,
Stuart
Johnson
c,
Carolyn
Williams
d,
Seng Khee
Gan
b,
Ian B.
Puddey
b,
Richard
Woodman
e,
Michael
Phillips
f,
Emma
Connolly
g and
Jonathan M.
Hodgson
bg
aSchool of Public Health, Curtin University, Perth, Australia. E-mail: Natalie.ward@curtin.edu.au; Tel: +61 8 9266 4188
bMedical School, University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia
cSchool of Molecular & Life Sciences, Curtin University, Perth, Australia
dCentre for Entrepreneurial Research & Innovation, Harry Perkins Institute for Medical Research, Perth, Australia
eSchool of Public Health, Flinders University, Adelaide, Australia
fCentre for Medical Research, University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia
gSchool of Health & Medical Sciences, Edith Cowan University, Perth, Australia
First published on 16th December 2019
Background: Type 2 diabetes mellitus is a metabolic disorder characterized by high glucose and insulin resistance. It is strongly linked to lifestyle, including poor diet and physical inactivity. Lupin is a novel food ingredient, rich in protein and fibre with negligible sugar and starch, which can be incorporated into various foods to reduce glycaemic load. Regular consumption of lupin-enriched foods may be a novel and easily achievable means of reducing overall glycaemic load and improving glycaemic control in diabetes. Objective: To determine whether regular consumption of lupin-enriched foods can improve glycaemic control and lower blood pressure in people with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Design: Fourteen men and 8 women (mean age 58.0 ± 6.6 years and BMI 29.0 ± 3.5 kg m−2) with type 2 diabetes mellitus were recruited from the general population to take part in a double-blind, randomised, controlled cross-over study. Participants consumed lupin or control foods for breakfast and lunch every day, and for dinner at least 3 days per week during the 8-week treatment periods. Lupin-enriched foods consisted of bread, pasta, Weetbix™ cereal and crumbs, with energy-matched control products. Treatments were completed in random order with an 8-week washout period. All participants monitored their blood glucose levels pre- and post-breakfast and lunch, and their blood pressure in the morning and evening, 3 days per week for the duration of each treatment period. Results: Seventeen participants completed both treatment arms, with all 22 participants (14 males, 8 females) analysed on an intention-to-treat basis. Eight weeks consumption of lupin-enriched food had no significant effect on mean blood glucose levels (mean difference: −0.08 ± 0.06 mmol L−1, p = 0.214) or post-prandial blood glucose levels (−0.13 ± 0.10 mmol L−1, p = 0.196). There was no effect on home systolic (−0.4 ± 0.4 mmHg, p = 0.33) or diastolic (0.3 ± 0.3 mmHg, p = 0.321) blood pressure and heart rate (0.5 ± 0.3 bpm, p = 0.152), and no effect on body weight throughout the treatment periods. Conclusion: Regular consumption of lupin-enriched foods had no significant effect on glycaemic control or blood pressure in people with type 2 diabetes mellitus.
There is evidence to suggest that meals with higher protein and fibre reduce post-prandial glycaemia, which may result in better long-term glycaemic control.3 Lupin, a legume that belongs to the genus Lupinus, has traditionally been used as stock feed, but may also function as a unique food ingredient for humans. L. angustifolious, also known as the Australian sweet lupin or the narrow-leaf lupin, is the largest legume crop grown in Australia. High in protein and dietary fibre, and low in carbohydrate, lupin grain also contains vitamins and antioxidants, whilst containing very little trypsin inhibitors and saponins.4 Flour and other products derived from the endosperm of the lupin kernel are novel food ingredients that contain approximately 40–42% protein, 38–40% dietary fibre and negligible glycaemic carbohydrate (sugar and starch).5 In comparison, according to the Australia Food Composition Database, whole grain wheat flour contains 11.5% protein, 11.4% dietary fibre and 58.2% glycaemic carbohydrate (primarily starch). Incorporation of lupin flour into foods that typically contain wheat flour results in significant increases in both protein and fibre content and a reduction in refined carbohydrate and thus glycaemic load.
We have previously shown that bread enriched in lupin flour reduces the 2-hour post-prandial glucose response in healthy adults, when compared to white bread, mediated by an increased insulin response.6 We further showed that in people with type 2 DM, lupin flour had a similar effect on 4-hour postprandial glucose response, again mediated by an increase in the insulin response.7 These findings suggest that the beneficial effect of lupin is likely driven by an increase in protein and fibre intake, as both lupin and white breads were matched for carbohydrate content. Other studies also support a role for a reduction in the amount of glycaemic carbohydrate, where energy-matched, but not carbohydrate-matched lupin-enriched bread reduced 3-hour postprandial glucose and insulin responses in healthy participants.8 While these acute studies support a beneficial role of lupin on glycaemic control, the impact of sustained regular consumption of lupin on glycaemic management in people with type 2 DM remains unclear. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the effect of sustained (8 weeks) regular consumption of lupin-enriched foods on glycaemic control and blood pressure (BP) in people with type 2 DM.
Study food products were developed and provided by commercial companies based on our previously developed recipe formulations.6,9 Foods provided were lupin-enriched or energy-matched wheat-based control foods and included breakfast cereal (Weetbix™), multigrain bread, pasta and bread crumbs. Participants were asked to replace approximately 20% of their daily energy intake with the study foods, consuming them at both breakfast and lunch daily, and at a minimum of 3 dinners per week during the treatment periods. The diets equated to an average daily intake of ∼45 g of lupin per day for the test food, which comprised ∼12 g day−1 of protein and 10 g day−1 of fibre. Normal dietary habits were maintained throughout the study, with participants reminded to replace existing foods with the study foods so as to minimise weight gain or increase energy consumption.
Characteristic | Mean (SD) |
---|---|
Mean (standard deviation). ACE, angiotensin II converting enzyme; ARBs, angiotensin II receptor blocker; Ca2+, calcium; BMI, body mass index; BP, blood pressure; DM, diabetes mellitus; HbA1c, glycated haemoglobin; HDL-C, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol; HOMA-IR, homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance; LDL-C, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol. | |
Age (years) | 58.0 (6.6) |
BMI (kg m−2) | 29.9 (3.5) |
Fasting glucose (mmol L−1) | 5.56 (1.78) |
HbA1c (%) | 7.02 (0.92) |
HOMA-IR | 2.48 (1.46) |
Total cholesterol (mmol L−1) | 2.97 (1.16) |
LDL-C (mmol L−1) | 1.68 (0.80) |
HDL-C (mmol L−1) | 0.75 (0.21) |
Triglycerides (mmol L−1) | 1.24 (0.85) |
Clinic BP (mm Hg) | 135/76 (15/9) |
Type 2 DM duration (years) | 4.7 (2.4) |
Treatment for type 2 DM (Yes/No) | 20/2 |
Sulfonylureas | 5 |
Metformin | 19 |
Other | 6 |
Diet | 2 |
Treatment for hypertension (Yes/No) | 11/11 |
ACE inhibitors | 6 |
ARBs | 5 |
Beta blockers | 4 |
Ca2+ channel blockers | 2 |
Lipid-lowering treatment (Yes/No) | 9/13 |
Control food | Lupin food | Between-group differenceb | P valueb | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Prea | Posta | Prea | Posta | |||
a Mean ± SEM. b Baseline (Pre)-adjusted between group difference – lupin versus control. c Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol. d High-density lipoprotein cholesterol. e Homeostatic model assessment for insulin resistance. | ||||||
Body weight (kg) | 88.50 ± 4.01 | 88.80 ± 4.02 | 85.95 ± 3.80 | 86.04 ± 4.02 | −0.17 | 0.565 |
Total cholesterol (mmol L−1) | 3.04 ± 0.27 | 2.95 ± 0.27 | 2.90 ± 0.26 | 2.63 ± 0.26 | −0.23 | 0.443 |
LDL-Cc (mmol L−1) | 1.78 ± 0.21 | 1.70 ± 0.19 | 1.58 ± 0.15 | 1.55 ± 0.18 | 0.01 | 0.954 |
Triglycerides (mmol L−1) | 1.23 ± 0.16 | 1.33 ± 0.20 | 1.20 ± 0.23 | 1.02 ± 0.16 | −0.31 | 0.059 |
HDL-Cd (mmol L−1) | 0.76 ± 0.05 | 0.74 ± 0.23 | 0.74 ± 0.05 | 0.66 ± 0.06 | −0.07 | 0.358 |
Glucose (mmol L−1) | 5.79 ± 0.46 | 5.55 ± 0.46 | 5.31 ± 0.33 | 5.07 ± 0.46 | −0.14 | 0.789 |
Insulin (μU mL−1) | 10.67 ± 1.26 | 10.15 ± 1.23 | 9.91 ± 1.28 | 8.71 ± 1.13 | −0.86 | 0.359 |
HOMA-IRe | 2.66 ± 0.35 | 2.38 ± 0.30 | 2.28 ± 0.31 | 2.03 ± 0.34 | −0.09 | 0.778 |
C-peptide (nmol L−1) | 0.87 ± 0.07 | 0.85 ± 0.07 | 0.79 ± 0.07 | 1.46 ± 0.7 | 0.74 | 0.287 |
Control food | Lupin food | Between-group differenceb | P valueb | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Prea | Posta | Prea | Posta | |||
a Mean ± SEM. b Baseline (Pre)-adjusted between group difference – lupin versus control. | ||||||
All glucose (mmol L−1) | 8.68 ± 0.47 | 8.79 ± 0.47 | 9.04 ± 0.44 | 8.67 ± 0.40 | −0.08 | 0.214 |
Pre-meal glucose (mmol L−1) | 7.60 ± 0.41 | 7.90 ± 0.40 | 7.51 ± 0.33 | 7.73 ± 0.32 | 0.03 | 0.688 |
Postprandial glucose (mmol L−1) | 9.77 ± 0.56 | 9.67 ± 0.62 | 10.58 ± 0.60 | 9.62 ± 0.53 | 0.13 | 0.196 |
All home SBP (mmHg) | 128 ± 3 | 124 ± 3 | 127 ± 4 | 127 ± 4 | −0.41 | 0.33 |
All home DBP (mmHg) | 80 ± 2 | 75 ± 2 | 77 ± 2 | 74 ± 2 | 0.29 | 0.321 |
All home HR (mmHg) | 71 ± 2 | 72 ± 2 | 74 ± 3 | 72 ± 3 | −0.47 | 0.152 |
Morning home SBP (mmHg) | 127 ± 3 | 124 ± 3 | 125 ± 3 | 125 ± 4 | −0.21 | 0.691 |
Morning home DBP (mmHg) | 78 ± 2 | 76 ± 2 | 78 ± 2 | 75 ± 2 | 0.48 | 0.166 |
Morning home HR (mmHg) | 69 ± 2 | 69 ± 2 | 74 ± 3 | 71 ± 3 | −0.19 | 0.637 |
Evening home SBP (mmHg) | 130 ± 4 | 125 ± 3 | 128 ± 5 | 130 ± 6 | −0.61 | 0.288 |
Evening home DBP (mmHg) | 80 ± 2 | 74 ± 2 | 76 ± 2 | 73 ± 2 | 0.07 | 0.868 |
Evening home HR (mmHg) | 73 ± 3 | 74 ± 3 | 75 ± 3 | 73 ± 3 | −0.73 | 0.133 |
Our previous acute studies have demonstrated a significant beneficial effect of lupin flour on postprandial glucose and insulin response in both healthy people and those with type 2 DM.6–8 Furthermore, we have previously shown that in overweight individuals, regular consumption of lupin-containing foods compared to carbohydrate-matched foods significantly reduced fasting insulin and HOMA-IR scores (an indicator of insulin resistance) at 4 and 12 months.10 Others have shown that high protein and fibre diets have beneficial effects on long-term glycaemic management in people with type 2 DM.3,11 In contrast, our current study in individuals with type 2 DM shows no improvements in glycaemic control, either overall or postprandial with sustained regular consumption of lupin-enriched foods. This was further evidenced by no improvements in fasting glucose, insulin or C-peptide (an indicator of insulin production). Our findings may be partly due to the inclusion of participants with relatively well-controlled type 2 DM. At baseline, fasting glucose levels averaged 5.56 mmol L−1 (range: 1.9 to 10.7 mmol L−1), and HbA1c levels were 7.02% (range: 5.8 to 8.6%). Therefore, our ability to improve glycaemic control that was already within an acceptable range and managed with existing pharmacotherapy or diet, may have been limited. It is also worth considering that any acute benefits, as previously seen in both healthy people and those with type 2 DM,6–8 are not sustained over a longer treatment period, although our previous study in overweight individuals10 does not support this. Additional differences may be due to the specific participant population studied.
Evidence suggests that both dietary protein and dietary fibre can lower BP.12,13 We have previously shown that regular consumption of lupin-containing foods can result in small but significantly lower systolic BP (∼1–2 mmHg) in overweight individuals, which appeared additive to the effects of weight loss.10,14 In the present study, however, we saw no effect of regular lupin consumption on home BP. This may be partly due to participants being recruited on the basis of having type 2 DM and not necessarily high BP. Consequently, 50% of the study participants were hypertensive with substantial variation in both BP treatment (which was maintained throughout the study period) and BP control, likely limiting our capacity to show significant improvements in BP.
We observed no significant changes in fasting lipids, other than a small reduction in triglycerides following the lupin-diet. This is unexpected given the known beneficial effects of fibre on cholesterol and triglyceride levels in people with dyslipidaemia and the metabolic syndrome.15 However, again this may be due to the heterogeneity in the participants studied, with 40% taking lipid-lowering medications. We have also previously found no effect of an ad libitum diet enriched in lupin flour on fasting blood lipids in overweight participants with mildly elevated total cholesterol concentrations, which may have been due to the relatively modest differences in protein and carbohydrate content between the lupin and control foods, against a background high protein diet.16
There are several other important limitations to consider when interpreting the findings of this study. Firstly, our population had significant variation in medication use between study participants, although each individual maintained their medication throughout the trial. There was also variation in diabetes duration, diabetes control and presence of co-morbidities (hypertension or dyslipidaemia). Although this represents the ‘real world’ it may have impacted the response to the study intervention, limiting the magnitude of change observed for both glycaemic control and BP. In addition, the length of the study (8-week intervention periods) could have contributed to differences in the response due to seasonal and dietary variation within the study period. Participants were asked to replace approximately 20% of their usual energy intake with the foods supplied. We have estimated that the resulting differences in protein and fibre were 12 g and 10 g respectively, which is a modest and achievable shift in protein and fibre intakes. However, it is possible that larger sustained shifts in both protein and fibre intakes are required in order to alter glycaemic control and BP. In addition, although lupin-enriched and matching control foods were provided to the participants and they were asked to maintain daily food records, compliance may have influenced the findings. Self-reported intakes indicated good compliance, but this is particularly relevant given the length of the study and the requirement to make daily changes to their diet. Lastly, the small sample size also needs to be considered, although this was minimised by the cross-over design of the study and the large number of blood glucose and BP measurements recorded by the participants during the treatment periods.
In conclusion, regular consumption of lupin-enriched foods does not significantly affect glycaemic control or BP in people with moderate-to-well controlled type 2 DM. Future studies should focus on patients whose glycaemic control requires additional management.
Footnotes |
† Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available. See DOI: 10.1039/c9fo01778j |
‡ Clinical Trial Registration: ACTRN12615000297527 |
This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry 2020 |