Several plant-based traditional ingredients in Asia are anecdotally used for preventing and/or treating type 2 diabetes. We investigated three such widely consumed ingredients, namely corn silk (CS), cumin (CU), and tamarind (TA). The aim of the study was to determine the effects of aqueous extracts of these ingredients consumed either as a drink (D) with high-glycemic-index rice or added to the same amount of rice during cooking (R) on postprandial glycemia (PPG), insulinemia (PPI), and blood pressure (BP), over a 3 h measurement period. Eighteen healthy Chinese men (aged 37.5 ± 12.5 years, BMI 21.8 ± 1.67 kg/m2) took part in a randomized crossover trial, each completing up to nine sessions. Compared to the control meal (plain rice + plain water), the addition of test extracts in either form did not modulate PPG, PPI, or BP. However, the extracts when added within rice while cooking gave rise to significantly lower PPI than when consumed as a drink (p < 0.01). Therefore, the form of consumption of phytochemical-rich ingredients can differentially modulate glucose homeostasis. This study also highlights the need for undertaking randomized controlled clinical trials with traditional foods/components before claims are made on their specific health effects.
Keywords: aqueous extracts; corn silk; cumin; form; postprandial glycemia; postprandial insulinemia; tamarind.