There is a growing interest in functional foods that, apart from their nutritional function, bring health benefits, contributing to wellbeing and/or reducing the risk of certain diseases. The objective of this study was to evaluate the functional effect of a soybean and rice beverage on the ponderal and nutritional parameters and on the lipid and glycemic metabolisms of male hamsters. Four groups of 8 animals were used: Control (commercial feed), C (commercial feed with added cholesterol), B (commercial feed plus beverage) and CB (commercial feed plus cholesterol and beverage). The food efficiency coefficient was equivalent for all the groups. The weight of the liver was on average 28% heavier in groups C and CB than in the other groups, indicating cholesterol deposition in this organ. Although there was no significant difference, the concentrations of total cholesterol and of its fractions (LDL and HDL) and of the triglycerides, were lower in group CB than in group C, showing a possible benefic effect of the beverage. The blood glucose concentration did not differ significantly (p<0.05).
HDL; LDL; triglycerides; glycemia; resistant starch
