Could High-Amylose Wheat Have Greater Benefits on Diabesity and Gut Health than Standard Whole-wheat?

ABSTRACT

Diets which have a low glycaemic index (GI) and high levels of dietary fibre are generally considered to be beneficial for promoting weight loss and improving insulin sensitivity, and are therefore recommended for the management of diabesity (the coexistence of obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus). In addition, high dietary fibre intake is also positively associated with gut health. High-amylose wheat (HAW) is a type of wheat which has a lower GI value and contains higher amounts of dietary fibre, including resistant starch, compared with standard wheat, and therefore has potential applications as a functional food for improving metabolic and gut health. The aim of this review is to describe the characteristics of HAW and the current evidence in support of its potential effects on metabolic and gut health, as well as identifying important areas for future research.

KEYWORDS:

• Obesity
• type 2 diabetes mellitus
• high-amylose wheat
• gut function

Acknowledgments

SML was supported by an Australian Government Research Training Program Scholarship, BSM by a Career Development Fellowship from the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia (APP 1083009).