Welcome to the CarbHealth Study website!
On this page you will find information on the background and objectives of the study, news and soon the first results.

Background & aims of the CarbHealth Study

In northern and central European countries - and therefore also in Germany - bread is one of the main sources of carbohydrates in the daily diet. The effect of bread consumption on our metabolism depends on the wholemeal and fibre content of the bread as well as its glycaemic index (GI). The glycaemic index describes whether the carbohydrates in a food cause the blood sugar to rise sharply or less sharply.

The CarbHealth study is dedicated to the research question of whether the habitual consumption of high-fibre bread can represent an essential component of a healthy plant-based diet and have a positive effect on body weight and the risk of type 2 diabetes.

The consortium of partners from Norway, Germany and Sweden conducted a 16-week randomised controlled intervention study in people at increased risk of type 2 diabetes and tested the effect of a newly developed bread on glycaemic control under everyday conditions. The CarbHealth study was conducted from August 2021 to October 2023 at four locations: Paderborn University and Leipzig University in Germany, the University of Bergen in Norway and Chalmers University in Sweden.

For the CarbHealth study , a bread was developed that is enriched with beta-glucans and has a comparatively low GI of 57. These beta-glucans occur naturally in oats and barley and have been shown to have favourable effects on blood sugar, blood lipids and body weight. One reason for this is that breads rich in beta-glucans have a lower GI than most conventional breads - and are therefore as favourable as wholemeal rye bread.
Secondary outcomes of the study included body weight and body composition as well as serum lipid levels and hepatic steatosis index. Subgroups also investigated the effect of the two breads on gastric emptying rate and satiety parameters (Bergen), as well as the postprandial glucose response to morning and evening consumption of the breads (Paderborn).

The study breads were developed by the Norwegian Institute for Applied Research in the Fields of Fisheries, Aquaculture and Food Research (NOFIMA, Norway). This international multi-centre study was sponsored by the EU as part of the Joint Programme Initiative (JPI) "A healthy diet for a healthy life".

CarbHealth study at the study centre in Paderborn

A total of 55 participants were recruited at the Paderborn University from October 2021 to July 2022. Of these, 47 participants ate the bread for 16 weeks and regularly came to the study centre for examinations. The last participant completed the study in Paderborn in July 2022. The data and samples collected are currently being analysed.

Publications (as of 31/01/2024):

• The study design of the CarbHealth study:

Hjorth T, Schadow A, Revheim I, et al. Sixteen-week multicentre randomised controlled trial to study the effect of the consumption of an oat beta-glucan-enriched bread versus a whole-grain wheat bread on glycaemic control among persons with pre-diabetes: a study protocol of the CarbHealth study. BMJ Open 2022;12:e062066. doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2022-062066

Your CarbHealth study team