Glycemic Index of Traditional Egg Pasta

Plain-language summary

The glycemic index (GI) compares the plasma glucose response to a specific amount of carbohydrates with the response induced by the same amount of carbohydrates from a standard carbohydrate source, pure glucose in our case. The GI is defined as the incremental area under the curve (iAUC) for blood glucose after consumption of a test food divided by the iAUC of a reference food containing the same amount of carbohydrates. GI is based on the physiologic functions of food carbohydrates rather than on their chemical structure, allowing to a more accurate classification. Several studies found that the regular consumption of low glycemic meals reduces the risk of developing diabetes, insulin-resistance, cardiovascular and neoplastic diseases. GI was originally developed for insulin-resistant subjects. The maintenance of stable blood glucose levels is a challenge for people with diabetes and pre-diabetes and is also beneficial for the general population, as reported by several studies. Low-GI diets have been shown to: * stabilize blood sugar levels * improve body weight * better control appetite * improve memory * reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases * reduce the risk of some forms of cancer According to Walter Willet, nutrition researcher at the Harvard School of Public Health, an excess of sugars and refined starches stimulates insulin hypersecretion, hunger pangs and frequent snacking, slowing down lipid metabolism and making people physically less active. This project aims to evaluate the glycemic index of five different types of pasta with the same format, named "Fettuccine", but with different composition (the pasta format is related to GI variations). The different types of pasta vary for flour and egg composition. However, having the same format, the GI will change only in response to the percentage content of the ingredients used to produce pasta. In particular, the aim is to measure egg's effect, distinct in yolk and white, on the glycemic and insulin response of healthy subjects.

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