
Alexandra JenkinsLoyola Marymount University | LMU
Alexandra Jenkins
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110
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Publications (110)
When this project was designed, there was no evidence that adding resistant starch to available carbohydrate (avCHO) reduced glycaemic and insulinaemic responses (GIR). We compared GIR elicited by a cookie containing cross-linked phosphorylated RS4 wheat starch (Fibersym®) (RS4XL) versus an avCHO-matched control-cookie (CC) after n = 15 adults had...
Allulose is a naturally occurring monosaccharide with ∼70% sweetness of sucrose which may blunt postprandial glucose when consumed with a carbohydrate-containing meal. Whether a higher allulose to carbohydrate ratio further inhibits both glycemic and insulinemic responses remains unclear. In an acute, double-blind, randomized design, 14 individuals...
Although compelling evidence from observational studies supports a positive association between consumption of cereal fiber and cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk reduction, randomized clinical trials (RCT)s often target viscous fiber type as the prospective contributor to lipid lowering to reduce CVD risk. The objective of our study is to compare t...
Objectives
To estimate the time for hunger scores to return to baseline levels for the Control and high protein, high fiber shakes.
Methods
A total of 80 subjects were recruited for this double-blind, randomized, controlled study (50F:30 M; BMI 30.3 ± 3.7 kg/m2). Overnight fasted subjects consumed equicaloric portions (120 kcal) of the high protei...
Objectives
Allulose is a naturally occurring monosaccharide with an approximate sweetness of 70% of sucrose without raising postprandial glucose and insulin levels. allSWEET® has been in the marketplace since 2015 but it has not been confirmed to attenuate glycemic and insulinemic response when consumed with sucrose. This study will therefore evalu...
Objectives
It is difficult to estimate the glycemic impact of low-carbohydrate (low-CHO) foods from the information in the Nutrition Facts Table. We developed equivalent glycemic load (EGL) to quantify the glycemic impact of low-CHO foods in people without diabetes. The current objective was to determine the feasibility and safety of measuring EGL...
Dietary starch contains rapidly (RAG) and slowly available glucose (SAG). To establish the relationships between the RAG:SAG ratio and postprandial glucose, insulin and hunger, we measured postprandial responses elicited by test meals varying in the RAG:SAG ratio in n 160 healthy adults, each of whom participated in one of four randomised cross-ove...
PurposeViscous dietary fiber, functional seeds and ginseng roots have individually been proposed for the management of diabetes. We explored whether their co-administration would improve glycemic control in type 2 diabetes beyond conventional therapy.Methods
In a randomized, double-blind, controlled trial conducted at two academic centers (Toronto,...
Background:
It was suggested that low salivary-amylase activity (SAA) and cooling or stir-frying cooked starch decreases its digestibility and glycemic index.
Objective:
We determined the effects of SAA, cooling, and single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the salivary amylase (AMY1), pancreatic amylase (AMY2A, AMY2B), maltase-glucoamylase (MG...
Background
High-molecular-weight (MW) oat β-glucan (OBG), consumed at 3–4 g/d, in solid foods reduces LDL cholesterol by a median of ∼6.5%.
Objectives
We evaluated the effect of a beverage providing 3 g/d high-MW OBG on reduction of LDL cholesterol (primary endpoint) when compared with placebo.
Methods
We performed a parallel-design, randomized c...
The gastrointestinal (GI) side-effects of dietary fibers are recognized, but less is known about their effects on non-GI symptoms. We assessed non-GI symptoms in a trial of the LDL-cholesterol lowering effect of oat β-glucan (OBG). Participants (n = 207) with borderline high LDL-cholesterol were randomized to an OBG (1 g OBG, n = 104, n = 96 analyz...
Short chain fructo-oligosaccharides (scFOS) are well-recognized prebiotic fibers. Fossence™ (FOSS) is a scFOS that has been produced from sucrose via a proprietary fermentation process and has not been tested for its digestibility or glucose/insulin response (GR and IR, respectively). The present randomized, controlled, cross-over study was conduct...
Oats can be processed in a variety of ways ranging from minimally processed such as steel-cut oats (SCO), to mildly processed such as large-flake oats (old fashioned oats, OFO), moderately processed such as instant oats (IO) or highly processed in ready-to-eat oat cereals such as Honey Nut Cheerios (HNC). Although processing is believed to increase...
Purpose:
Despite the lack of evidence, a growing number of people are using herbal medicine to attenuate the burden of diabetes. There is an urgent need to investigate the clinical potential of herbs. Preliminary observations suggest that American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius [AG]) may reduce postprandial glycemia. Thus, we aimed to evaluate the e...
Background
Slowly digested carbohydrates are perceived as beneficial by some consumers, and various regulatory bodies have published specific criteria defining lower postprandial glycemic response. We developed an optimized savory cluster snack containing slowly digested starch.
Objective
We compared the glucose and insulin responses elicited by t...
Objective:
Evidence from randomized controlled trials (RCTs) suggests that viscous dietary fiber may offer beneficial effects on glycemic control and, thus, an improved cardiovascular disease risk profile. Our purpose was to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis of RCTs to synthesize the therapeutic effect of viscous fiber supplementation...
Background/objectives:
Dietary carbohydrate quality and quantity fluctuate but it is unknown which attribute takes precedence in vascular health preservation. We investigated all four permutations of glycemic index (GI) and glycemic load (GL) on acute vascular and glycemic responses.
Subjects/methods:
Twenty-one healthy adults were screened for...
Background/Objectives
Soaking oats overnight in milk renders them ready to eat the next morning, however, it is unknown whether oats prepared this way will retain its relatively low glycaemic and insulinaemic impact. Therefore, we compared the glycaemic, insulinaemic and subjective hunger responses elicited by oats soaked overnight in 110 g skim-mi...
Background/Objectives
To investigate the effect of dried fruit in modifying postprandial glycemia, we assessed the ability of 4 dried fruits (dates, apricots, raisins, sultanas) to decrease postprandial glycemia through three mechanisms: a glycemic index (GI) effect, displacement effect, or ‘catalytic’ fructose effect.
Subjects/Methods
We conducte...
Introduction
Research has shown an association between fat consumption and vascular function. Recent evidence suggests that a high saturated fat meal may impair vasodilatory mechanisms post‐ingestion, while other types of dietary fats, depending on chain length, saturation and omega 3:6 ratio may potentially improve vascular function. There have be...
Background
Current evidence suggests that the consumption of konjac glucomannan (KJM), a viscous soluble fiber, may significantly reduce LDL cholesterol. However, it is less known whether KJM has an effect on two newer clinical lipid targets in cardiovascular disease risk management.
Objective
To quantify the effect of KJM fiber on LDL cholesterol...
Background
Psyllium fiber, while initially promoted for its digestive health benefits, is now known to moderately improve LDL cholesterol. However, it is less known whether psyllium fiber has an effect on two newer clinical lipid targets of cardiovascular disease, non‐HDL cholesterol and apolipoprotein B.
Objective
To conduct a systematic review a...
Background
Foods that provides satiety with little calories are in high demand. We evaluated the effect of substituting regular noodles with noodles made from Konjac fiber (KF) on signals of appetite and consecutive food intake in healthy individuals.
Methods
Following an overnight fast, sixteen healthy volunteers (12F/4M; Age: 26±12 years; BMI: 2...
Purpose:
Use of polypharmacy in the treatment of diabetes is the norm; nonetheless, optimal control is often not achieved. Konjac-glucomannan-based fibre blend (KGB) and American ginseng (AG) have individually been shown to improve glycaemia and CVD risk factors in type 2 diabetes. The aim of this study was to determine whether co-administration o...
Background
The glycemic index (GI) is used to classify carbohydrate‐containing foods and products according to their effect on postprandial blood glucose responses. Low GI products release carbohydrates more slowly and elicit a lower glycemic response than higher GI products. Accordingly, low GI diets may help with weight and general health mainten...
Reducing the glycaemic response to carbohydrate-containing foods may have desirable physiological effects for many people. Here, we aimed to determine the minimum amount of oat β-glucan from oat-bran which, when added to instant-oatmeal, would reduce the glycaemic response by 20% compared to a β-glucan-free cereal. Therefore, the glycaemic response...
Konjac glucomannan (KGM) is a viscous dietary fibre that can form a solid, low-energy gel when hydrated and is commonly consumed in a noodle form (KGM-gel). Increased meal viscosity from gel-forming fibres have been associated with prolonged satiety, but no studies to date have evaluated this effect with KGM-gel. Thus, our objective was to evaluate...
BACKGROUND: Sugar-sweetened beverages are associated with type 2 diabetes. To assess whether this association holds for the fructose-containing sugars they contain, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies.
METHODS: We searched MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL and the Cochrane Library (through June 2016). We included...
Background: Evidence from randomized controlled trials (RCTs) suggests the consumption of konjac glucomannan (KJM), a viscous soluble fiber, for improving LDL-cholesterol concentrations. It has also been suggested that the cholesterol-lowering potential of KJM may be greater than that of other fibers. However, trials have been relatively scarce and...
Oats are a rich source of β -glucan, a viscous, soluble fibre recognised for its cholesterol-lowering properties, and are associated with reduced risk of CVD. Our objective was to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised-controlled trials (RCT) investigating the cholesterol-lowering potential of oat β -glucan on LDL-cholesterol,...
Background & aims:
We aimed to determine the impact of serving size and addition of sucrose on the glycemic response elicited by oatmeal.
Methods:
We studied 38 healthy subjects (mean ± SD age 40 ± 12 yr, BMI 26.4 ± 3.6 kg/m2) on 8 separate days using a randomized, cross-over design. Capillary blood-glucose responses over 2hr after consuming 30,...
Preliminary studies indicate that consumption of Salba‐chia ( Salvia hispanica L) improves management of type 2 diabetes and acutely suppresses appetite. In this study, we assessed the effect of Salba‐chia on body weight and related cardiovascular disease risk factors in overweight or obese adults with type 2 diabetes over 6 months.
Using a double...
Background
Oats are a rich source of β‐glucan, a viscous soluble fibre recognized for its cholesterol lowering properties, and are associated with reduced risk of cardiovascular disease.
Objective
To conduct a systematic review and meta‐analysis of RCTs investigating the cholesterol lowering potential of oat β‐glucan on LDL‐C, non‐HDL‐C, and apoB,...
Background
Recent interest in barley as a therapeutic food is driven by its high content of β‐glucan, a viscous soluble fibre known for its cholesterol lowering properties.
Objective
To conduct a systematic review and meta‐analysis of RCTs investigating the cholesterol lowering potential of β‐glucan from barley sources on established clinical lipi...
Postprandial glycemia has been implicated in the development of chronic metabolic diseases such as obesity, type 2 diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular diseases. Foods with high contents of slowly digestible starch elicit lower glycemic responses have been proposed as better choices to help decrease postprandial glucose excursions and thus to impro...
Objective
The effect of viscous fibres on appetite and food intake have been equivocal, limited by the capacity of gel‐formation within the gastrointestinal tract. Differences in fibre administration form many determine the physiological effects of viscous fibres. Using a highly viscous fibre blend (VFB) of two complimentary fibres, konjac glucoman...
Background
Consumers are increasingly interested in snacks that supply energy over an extended period of time, potentially in the form of carbohydrates. Foods containing slowly released carbohydrates generally elicit attenuated postprandial blood glucose and insulin responses. A variety of ingredients and processing and formulation techniques were...
Pulses are low glycemic index (GI) foods and have been associated with reduced risk of heart disease, diabetes and some cancers. However the blood glucose and insulin responses of hummus, a food containing chickpea, have not been thoroughly tested.
Ten healthy subjects each consumed 11 breakfast study meals in randomized order over a period of 15 w...
Background:
Debate over the role of fructose in mediating cardiovascular risk remains active. To update the evidence on the effect of fructose on established therapeutic lipid targets for cardiovascular disease (low-density lipoprotein cholesterol [LDL]-C, apolipoprotein B, non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol [HDL-C]), and metabolic syndrome...
Background:
The role of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) that contain free or bound fructose in the pathogenesis of hypertension remains unclear.
Objective:
We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies to quantify the association between fructose-containing SSBs and risk of hypertension.
Design:
MEDLINE, Emb...
Diets rich in fruits and vegetables reduce risk of adverse cardiovascular events. However, the constituents responsible for this effect have not been well established. Lately, the attention has been brought to vegetables with high nitrate content with evidence that this might represent a source of vasoprotective nitric oxide. We hypothesized that s...
Ginsenosides are the proposed bioactive constituent of ginseng, especially for the attenuation of postprandial glycemia (PPG). The efficacious proportion of total and specific ginsenosides, remains unknown. Alcohol extraction of whole ginseng root can be used to selectively manipulate the ginsenoside profile with increasing alcohol concentrations p...
Background/objective:
Addition of viscous fiber to foods has been shown to significantly reduce postprandial glucose excursions. However, palatability issues and the variability in effectiveness due to different methods of administration in food limits it use. This study explores the effectiveness of a viscous fiber blend (VFB) in lowering postpra...
Objectives: Although most controlled feeding trials have failed to show an adverse effect of fructose on blood pressure, concerns continue to be raised regarding the role of fructose in hypertension. To quantify the association between fructose-containing sugar (high-fructose corn syrup, sucrose, and fructose) intake and incident hypertension, a sy...
Background:
The blood glucose-lowering effects of β-glucan from oats and barley depend on the amounts consumed and their rheological properties. This has been recently challenged with growing evidence that the food matrix may also be an important factor in predicting its physiological response.
Objective:
The objective of this study was to exami...
Background
Ginsenoside Rg3, present in steamed ginseng (Panax Ginseng C.A. Meyer), is thought to be a potent modulator of vascular function. Our objective was to clinically evaluate acute effects of ginsenoside Rg3-enriched Korean red ginseng (Rg3-KRG) on measures of arterial stiffness and peripheral and central blood pressure (BP) parameters in he...
Unlabelled:
Korean red ginseng (steam treated Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer), among most prized traditional herbal remedies, has been clinically shown to improve cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors. Whether this holds true for the dried non-steamed variety, known as Korean white ginseng (KWG) is unclear. This study therefore, investigated the eff...
Endothelial dysfunction is an important contributor to atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease. However, routine assessment via angiography or flow-mediated dilation is difficult due to technical limitations. Peripheral arterial tonometry (PAT) is a promising alternative method for non-invasive assessment of endothelial dysfunction. This study a...
AimsGinseng root and its derivatives remain atop the most widely used medicinal herbs in cardiovascular disease, despite inadequate substantiation of efficacy. We previously reported the potential of Korean red ginseng (KRG) to affect vascular tone by decreasing arterial wave reflection via an unknown mechanism. Given the preclinical link between g...
Background/objective:
Nut consumption has been found to decrease risk of coronary heart disease and diabetes and to promote healthy body weights possibly related to their favorable macronutrient profile. We therefore assessed the effect of pistachios on postprandial glucose and insulin levels, gut hormones related to satiety and endothelial functi...
The effect of fructose on cardiometabolic risk in humans is controversial. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of controlled feeding trials to clarify the effect of fructose on glycemic control in individuals with diabetes.
We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library (through 22 March 2012) for relevant trials lasting ≥7 da...
Previous studies have shown that saturated fat and refined carbohydrates (CHO) acutely impair endothelial function, while unsaturated fats appear to exert a neutral effect. The purpose of this study was to examine endothelial function after meals differing in fat and CHO content. We assessed endothelial function in 20 adults with metabolic syndrome...
Background
Nut consumption has been found to decrease risk of CHD and diabetes, and to promote healthy body weights, possibly related to their favorable macronutrient profile.
Methods
20 subjects with metabolic syndrome as defined by NCEP ATP III guidelines were recruited. Each subject participated in a total of 5 breakfast study meals over 5–10wk...
Hyperuricemia is linked to gout and features of metabolic syndrome. There is concern that dietary fructose may increase uric acid concentrations. To assess the effects of fructose on serum uric acid concentrations in people with and without diabetes, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of controlled feeding trials. We searched MEDLIN...
Background: Concerns have been raised about the adverse effect of fructose on blood pressure. International dietary guidelines for the prevention of hypertension, however, have not addressed fructose intake directly.
Purpose: A systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted to assess the effect of fructose in isocaloric exchange for other carboh...
The contribution of fructose consumption in Western diets to overweight and obesity in populations remains uncertain.
To review the effects of fructose on body weight in controlled feeding trials.
MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, and the Cochrane Library (through 18 November 2011).
At least 3 reviewers identified controlled feeding trials lasting 7 or more...
Contrary to concerns that fructose may have adverse metabolic effects, there is evidence that small, ‘catalytic’ doses ( ≤ 10 g/meal) of fructose decrease the glycaemic response to high-glycaemic index meals in human subjects. To assess the longer-term effects of ‘catalytic’ doses of fructose, we undertook a meta-analysis of controlled feeding tria...
Concerns have been raised about the adverse effect of fructose on blood pressure. International dietary guidelines, however, have not addressed fructose intake directly. A systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted to assess the effect of fructose in isocaloric exchange for other carbohydrates on systolic, diastolic, and mean arterial blood...
The authors previously reported that adult South Asian immigrants to Canada have an increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) compared to their European and Chinese counterparts. It is unknown whether these ethnic differences also exist among adolescents, and whether they are related to diet and lifestyle. The objective of the present study wa...
The Glycemic Index (GI) is a rating system that ranks carbohydrate-containing foods according to their postprandial blood glucose response relative to the same quantity of available carbohydrate of a standard such as white bread or glucose. The concept of GI was first introduced in the early 80's by Jenkins and coworkers. Since then, numerous trial...
The well-documented lipid-lowering effects of fibre may be related to its viscosity, a phenomenon that has been understudied, especially when fibre is given against the background of a typical North American (NA) diet. In this three-arm experiment, we compared the lipid-lowering effect of low-viscosity wheat bran (WB), medium-viscosity psyllium (PS...
Variations in ginsenoside profile may predict the postprandial glucose (PPG)-lowering efficacy of ginseng. Previously we reported differential PPG-lowering effects with two Korean red ginseng (KRG) root. FRACTIONS: body and rootlets, of variable ginsenoside profiles. Whether this effect is reproducible with a different KRG source is unclear. We the...
Background
Nut consumption has been found to decrease risk of CHD, to improve control of type 2 diabetes and to promote healthy body weights, possibly related to their favorable fat, protein and antioxidant profiles. Previous studies have demonstrated that pistachios when included in meals decrease the postprandial glycemic response of carbohydrate...
While ginseng is reported to have a wide array of applications, there is growing evidence for its indications in diabetes and vascular disease. A clear connection, however, has not been established between ginseng's composition, dose and its targeted efficacy in humans. We therefore developed and initiated the Korean Red Ginseng Clinical Testing Pr...
Reductions in postprandial glycemia have been demonstrated previously with the addition of the novel viscous polysaccharide (NVP), PolyGlycopleX® (PGX®), to an OGTT or white bread. This study explores whether these reductions are sustained when NVP is added to a range of commonly consumed foods or incorporated into a breakfast cereal.
Ten healthy s...
Preclinical studies indicate a role of Korean red ginseng (KRG) in the modulation of vascular function; however, clinical evidence is scarce. Therefore, the objective of this study was to investigate the effect of KRG root on peripheral blood pressure (BP) and augmentation index (AI), an emerging method to assess cardiovascular risk beyond conventi...
Objectives
To assess the presence of metabolic syndrome (MetS) features in healthy, normal‐weight, multiethnic adolescents and to determine whether fasting blood glucose (FBG) may be a simple indicator of its presence.
Methods
A cross‐sectional study using a convenience sample of secondary school students. GLM ANCOVA adjusted for multiple pairwise...
Objective
To evaluate the acute effects of 10% Rg3‐enriched Korean Red Ginseng (KRG) on arterial stiffness and peripheral and central systolic (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) in healthy adult volunteers.
Methods
Using a double‐blind, randomized, crossover design, 17 individuals (6M:11F; age 25±3; BMI 22±0.8; SBP 111±4, DBP 69±2mmHg) were...
Objectives
The relative importance of the type of carbohydrate (Glycemic Index, GI) and/or the quantity (Glycemic Load, GL) in the context of a mixed meal on glycemia is still debated; whereas the effects on vascular health are unknown. This study therefore investigated the acute effect all 4 permutations of high and low GI and GL meals on postpran...
Objective
To compare the effects of Salba and flax, two nutritionally similar, high fiber grains whose main difference is viscosity, on postprandial glycemia and appetite.
Methods
Using an acute randomized, single‐blind, crossover design, 9 healthy subjects (4M:5F; BMI 22.7±4 kg/m ² ) received, on 3 different occasions, a 50g glucose drink alone o...
Health benefits of viscous fiber intake are well established; nevertheless few effective and palatable preparations are available. The objective of the study therefore was to determine palatability and effectiveness of escalating doses of PGX, a novel viscous polysaccharide (NVP), in reducing postprandial glycemia when added to a liquid and a solid...