The study involves validating a green tea confection (i.e. gummy candy) as a dietary strategy to attenuate postprandial hyperglycemia-induced impairments in vascular function. The central hypothesis is that a green tea confection will protect against vascular endothelial dysfunction by suppressing postprandial hyperglycemia. The central hypothesis of this application will be assessed by providing research participants 75 grams of carbohydrate in the form of a confection that contains no green tea concentrate or green tea concentrate at a level equivalent to approximately 3 cups of freshly brewed tea. Blood glucose and brachial artery flow-mediated dilation will be assessed at regular intervals during the 3 hour postprandial period to define the extent to which green tea attenuates postprandial increases in blood glucose and decreases in vascular function that otherwise occur in a hyperglycemia-dependent manner.
The objective of this study is to formulate and validate a green tea confection (i.e. gummy candy) as a strategy to attenuate postprandial hyperglycemia-induced impairments in vascular function. The central hypothesis is that a green tea confection will protect against vascular endothelial dysfunction by suppressing postprandial hyperglycemia. The central hypothesis of this application will be assessed by developing a green tea-containing confection, examining its physiochemical properties and its inhibition of starch digestion, and then validating its vasoprotective activities in healthy humans by assessing its blood glucose-regulating activities.