Hi-Maize Resistant Starch Ups Insulin Sensitivity

BRIDGEWATER, N.J.Low doses of natural Hi-maize resistant starch (from Corn Products International Inc.) could improve insulin sensitivity in men at risk for prediabetes, according to a study underwritten by National Starch LLC, a business unit of Corn Products International.

In a presentation given at Experimental Biology 2011 in Washington, DC on April 10, study leader Kevin C. Maki, Ph.D., of Biofortis-Provident Clinical Research, Glen Ellyn, IL, reported that overweight or obese but non-diabetic male participants taking part in a clinical study showed a 72.7-percent improvement in insulin sensitivity after receiving a 30 g/d dose of resistant starch from Hi-maize 260, and a 56.5-percent improvement in insulin sensitivity from a 15 g/d dose.

The Maki study on Hi-maize resistant starch was a randomized, double blind, controlled, crossover trial consisting of three four-week treatment periods, separated by three-week washouts. Participants were overweight and obese men and women, 18 to 69 years of age with elevated waist circumference: a marker for insulin sensitivity. They consumed either 15 or 30 g/d of resistant starch (measured as dietary fiber) from Hi maize resistant starch, with a control starch including no resistant starch. Insulin sensitivity index was assessed at the end of each period using an insulin-modified intravenous glucose tolerance test (minimal model). The men experienced a statistically significant average improvement in insulin sensitivity. In contrast, the same study did not find an improvement in insulin sensitivity in overweight women. The authors suggested responses in women might have differed, as they were less insulin-resistant at baseline and changes over the menstrual cycle may have obscured the effects.

According to Dr. Christine Pelkman, clinical research manager for National Starch and co-author on the study, There is good evidence that minimal weight loss and increased physical activity can help to preserve healthy blood sugar levels. But in the United States, we seem to be moving in the opposite direction. The number of overweight and obese people in this country is increasing, and even when people are diagnosed with prediabetes, the percentage of people who commit to permanent lifestyle change is relatively low. With the costs in human suffering and medical treatment associated with high blood sugar levels, we should be doing everything we can to meet this burgeoning challenge."

According to Rhonda Witwer, Senior Business Development Manager of Nutrition at National Starch, one of the keys to long-term success in maintaining glycemic health is recognizing the lifestyle issues that contribute to the problem. For better or worse, we as a society tend not to want to give up the things that we enjoy even when they threaten our long-term health. Education is vital to helping us maintain health and wellness. But equally vital is developing alternative foods to help people easily integrate dietary components with proven health benefits," she said. There are commercial foods on the market that contain Hi-maize on store shelves right now with more becoming available every month."

Hi-maize resistant starch is a natural bioactive ingredient isolated from a special hybrid of corn that is naturally high in amylose content. Resistant starch resists digestion in the small intestine and reaches the large intestine. Hi-maize 260 resistant starch contains approximately 60-percent resistant starch (insoluble dietary fiber) and 40-percent digestible (glycemic) starch content. It can be added to foods such as breads, pizza and baked goods by partly replacing flour or to smoothies and shakes in a simple blending process.