Authors
Song Cui, Haocun Kong, Yixiong Tian, Danyang Li, Caiming Li, Xiaofeng Ban, Zhengbiao Gu, Zhaofeng Li
Published in
Critical reviews in food science and nutrition. Pages 1-14. Jun 23, 2026. Epub Jun 23, 2026.
Abstract
The escalating global prevalence of metabolic syndromes has intensified the search for effective dietary strategies. As the primary dietary carbohydrate, starch plays a critical role in postprandial metabolism by virtue of its digestion dynamics. A key regulator in this process is the gut hormone glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), which governs glycemic control and satiety. This review synthesizes recent advances in our understanding of the interplay between starch digestion and GLP-1 secretion, which is a potentially important yet not yet fully explored physiological pathway. Notably, slowly digestible and resistant starches appear to promote GLP-1 release by delivering their digestion by-products, namely glucose and short-chain fatty acids, respectively, to distal gut L-cells. Conversely, GLP-1 modulates starch digestion and suppresses appetite by delaying gastric emptying, an effect mediated by both the endocrine pathway and local paracrine activation of vagal afferents (via GLP-1 receptors) within the gut-brain axis. By examining the mechanistic links between starch multiscale structure, spanning from molecular architecture to food matrix integrity, and enteroendocrine function, we propose a framework for designing functional foods that support endogenous GLP-1 activity. Such synergistic strategies offer a promising and sustainable complement to pharmacological interventions for improving postprandial glycemia and overall metabolic health.
PMID:
42334885
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 24 Jun 2026.
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