(P23-049-23) GlucoTRIG: High-Carbohydrate and/or High-Fat Composite Meals and Postprandial Insulin and Triglyceride Responses – A Randomised Controlled Crossover Trial

Objectives: GlucoTRIG is a recently developed novel index to rank the healthiness of composite meals by incorporating postprandial insulin and triglycerides responses. This study aimed to examine the impact of high-carbohydrate and high-fat meals on postprandial insulin and triglyceride responses and application of the GlucoTRIG equation to rank the healthiness of meals.

Methods: This study was a randomised, controlled, crossover trial consisting of healthy adults (n=15, M:2, F:13), aged 26.2 ± 1.6 years, BMI 21.9±0.6kg/m², HbA1c 32±1mmol/mol, and fasting triglyceride 1.3±0.1mmol/L. The study involved consuming three isocaloric meals (480kcal, 2008kJ) with a one-week washout. The meals were reference (Ref) meal (17% protein, 26% fat, 55% carbohydrate), high-carbohydrate, low-fat (HCLF) meal (17% protein, 13% fat, 68% carbohydrate), and high-fat, low-carbohydrate (HFLC) meal (19% protein, 51% fat, 29% carbohydrate). Fibre in all meals were constant at 1%. After an overnight fast (12h), a baseline blood sample was taken. Participants were given the meal to consume within 20 min. Another blood sample was obtained postprandially at 180 min. GlucoTRIG value was measured as (plasma triglycerides_180min x plasma insulin_180min)-(plasma triglycerides_0min x plasma insulin_0min). Study outcomes were statistically analysed using repeated-measures analysis of variance (ANOVA, SPSS v29, IBM) and Bonferroni post-hoc test for multiple comparisons if applicable, and data presented as mean ± SEM.

Results: Triglyceride changes were significantly different amongst the three meals: Ref (0.1±0.0mmol/L), HCLF (0.3±0.1mmol/L), and HFLC (0.8±0.1mmol/L), p< 0.001. Insulin changes were also significantly different amongst the three meals: Ref (35.6±14.0pmol/L), HCLF (49.4±17.2pmol/L), and HFLC (11.7±4.4pmol/L), p=0.032. The GlucoTRIG values of the three meals were Ref (42±16.1), HCLF (79±29.4), and HFLC (59±15.1), p=0.195.

Conclusions: The GlucoTRIG index was able to detect differences in insulin and triglyceride responses following different composite meals. The GlucoTRIG value was lowest for Ref meal, followed by HFLC, then HCLF meal. The study revealed that the HCLF meal induced a higher insulin and triglyceride level combined, and may therefore be less healthy compared to the Ref and HFLC meals.

Funding Sources: The study has been internally funded by Riddet Institute.