Study Status: Enrolling by invitation
Recruit Status: Enrolling by invitation
Study Type: Interventional
Official Title: Almond Effects on Glucose Intolerance Study (AEGIS)
Brief Summary:
Diabetes is a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Prevention of diabetes is an important goal. The progression from impaired glucose tolerance to diabetes is thought to be promoted by the toxic effects of hyperglycemia on pancreatic beta cells. One of the main defects causing postprandial hyperglycemia in individuals with impaired glucose tolerance is reduced first phase (immediate) insulin release. The investigators hypothesis is that consuming a nutritional preload--a low-calorie, nutritionally balanced snack--30 minutes before ingesting a carbohydrate load, will moderate the hyperglycemic response to subsequent carbohydrate challenge and reduce glucotoxicity by stimulating insulin release and synthesis.
The aim of this study is to test this hypothesis by comparing the standard 75-gram, two-hour oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) response of 30 fasting adults who have impaired glucose tolerance to their OGTT response when the test is preceded by ½ ounce (14 grams) of dry-roasted, unsalted almonds. A pre-load interval of 30 minutes was chosen so that the peak of phase 2 (delayed) insulin response to the pre-load (45-60 minutes) would coincide with the timeframe of the steepest OGTT rise in glucose (15 to 30 minutes post challenge).
The investigators hypothesize that the one-hour OGTT glucose level will be approximately 40 mg/dl lower when participants consume the pre-OGTT almond snack, compared to their one-hour glucose level on the standard two-hour OGTT. The two-hour OGTT glucose level is unlikely to show a statistically significant difference between the almond pre-test snack and control standard OGTT conditions.