TY  - JOUR
AU  - Qi, Xin
AU  - Tester, Richard
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/07/26
TI  - The Case for Slow Energy Release Foods: Weight Management
JO  - Recent Progress in Nutrition
SP  - 016
VL  - 06
IS  - 03
AB  - Excess dietary calories relative to energy expenditure lead to increased body weight, a problem now widely described as an epidemic because of its association with numerous disease states. Although free digestible sugars are to the most extent absorbed relatively easily from foods in healthy individuals, this is not the case for starches; where the physico-chemical properties control the rate and extent of enzymatic hydrolysis in the small intestine. Thus, even when the quantity of starch in a food product is known this may not reflect its calorie provision due to its digestibility. This short review explores this ‘glucose supply’ issue and its implication for dietary calorie management. In particular, how controlling the rate and extent to which glucose is absorbed from the diet impacts upon body weight and as a consequence health; with a particular emphasis on slowly digestible starch (SDS) as a preferred dietary glucose source. Many Western dietary patterns favour starchy foods that are digested rapidly, producing pronounced postprandial peaks and troughs in blood glucose concentrations. The focus towards slowly digestible starch within the diet offers a more favourable pathway for glucose entry into the circulation, supporting more stable metabolic utilisation. The evidence suggests that this control of glucose absorption from the gut into the blood stream can influence positively body weight, body mass index (BMI) and associated health conditions linked to body mass. These physical impacts associated with potential benefits on cognitive function.
SN  - 2771-9871
UR  - https://doi.org/10.21926/rpn.2603016
DO  - 10.21926/rpn.2603016
ID  - Qi2026
ER  -