An elevated glycemic response (GR) to food has been associated with increased weight gain, and therefore, managing postprandial glucose excursions could be seen as a potential target for reducing the prevalence of obesity and associated comorbidities.Previous research has shown that extracts from plant foods may influence glucose metabolism by several mechanisms such as inhibition of carbohydrate digestion and/or glucose absorption and transport, improved fasting blood glucose levels, enhanced insulin secretion, and improved insulin sensitivity.This has generated much interest into the role of certain extracts as potential functional food ingredients for improving health
Plant extracts contain a wide range of health compounds including polyphenols, which can be absorbed into the blood and exert their effects at the cellular level, yet can also reduce postprandial glycemia by inhibiting and/or prolonging digestion in the intestinal tract [3,4]
According to the glucostatictheory proposed by Mayer [5] in 1953, postprandial blood glucose levels may influence feelings of satiety through glucoreceptors. Insulin response (IR) is also thought to be highly associated with GR and satiety [6].Thus, extracts from plants rich in secondary metabolites may not only exert glucose-lowering effects by reducing starch digestion but also reduce postprandial IR and increase satiety.