Postprandial metabolism of a reduced-fat meat product with added silicon from diatomaceous earth. A pilot randomized controlled four-way assay in humans

The use of silicon (Si) in functional foods is innovative. Because meat products are versatile, nutritious and highly accepted by the population, in this study a reduced-fat meat product (pâté) with added Si from diatomaceous earth was assayed. The design was a four-way postprandial randomized crossover-controlled trial. Eighteen adults (<i>n</i> = 18, mean age 58 ± 8 years, 68% women) consumed a standard meal with the following pâtés: control (C), with normal fat content; reduced-fat (RF), in which pork backfat was fully replaced by emulsions; the C with added diatomaceous earth powder as a source of Si (C-Si); and the RF pâté with the same Si source (RF-Si). Volunteers were characterized in terms of fasting lipemia, body weight, body composition, blood pressure, smoking habits, and medication. Blood samples were collected at 0, 1, 2, and 4 h after ingesting the standard meal containing each of the pâtés. Results show that, regardless of the type of patê, postprandial serum Si and triglycerides increased (<i>p</i> = 0.015 and <i>p</i> < 0.001), and insulin increased during the first hour and decreased thereafter (<i>p</i> < 0.001) while glucose was unchanged. In conclusion, Si from diatomaceous earth is unabsorbed and has no effect on normal postprandial metabolism in adult men and women, suggesting that this inorganic source of Si should not be used as a bioactive ingredient in functional foods.