If you happen to love starchy foods there may be good news when it comes to your blood sugar levels according to research from the Pennsylvania State University, Department of Food Science.
According to researchers green tea has been shown to alleviate symptoms of metabolic syndrome in living organisms this prompting researchers to look at the effect of the antioxidant Epigallocatechin Gallate or EGCG found in green tea on the blood glucose levels of mice.
Researchers fed corn starch to fasted mice and then had fed them a dose of EGCG which was equal to that of one and half cups of green tea for a human.
Researchers had found the mice fed corn starch and EGCG had a significant reduction in increase in their blood glucose in comparison to mice not fed the antioxidant compound.
According to Dr. Joshua D. Lambert, PhD, assistant professor of food science, College of Agriculture Sciences, Penn State, “The spike in blood glucose level is about 50 percent lower than the increase in the blood glucose level of mice that were not fed EGCG.”
Dr. Lambert worked with worked with Sarah C. Forester, postdoctoral fellow, and Yeyi Gu, graduate student, both in food science, had said that EGCG was most effect when fed to the mice at the same with corn starch.
The EGCG had no significant effect in blood sugar spikes in mice that were fed maltose, sucrose, or glucose.
According to Dr. Lambert the reason for the reduction in blood sugar spice of the mice fed the corn starch could be related to the way the body converts starch into sugar.
An enzyme called alpha-amylase that is produced in both the mouth and by the pancreas helps break down starch into maltose and glucose. EGCG may prevent the enzymes ability to breakdown the starch. Researchers also found that EGCG reduced the activity of alpha amylase in the pancreas by 34 percent…
Read more: Examiner