Reducing the
digestion of digestible carbohydrates in a digestible
carbohydrate-based material, and reducing the absorption of the
digestion product(s) of digestible carbohydrates (that is, simple sugars) within the
small intestine. The undigested digestible
carbohydrate and the unabsorbed
digestion products pass through the small intestines and into the colon, where they are fermented. In effect, the food materials made by practicing the present invention cause a controlled amount of digestible
carbohydrate to by-pass the
small intestine, resulting in the
fermentation of digestible carbohydrates in the colon. The invention also provides for
processing of a digestible carbohydrate-based ingredient with a non-digestible food
film material, to form a reduced digestible carbohydrate food having a protective food film network, which can inhibit or prevent digestion of the digestible carbohydrate. The present invention also provides for
processing of a digestible carbohydrate-based ingredient with a non-digestible food
film material, to provide a resulting reduced digestible carbohydrate food containing a
viscosity-building component that contributes to the formation of a viscous intestinal chyme that can inhibit or prevent digestion of the digestible carbohydrate and can inhibit adsorption of digestion products of digestible carbohydrates in the
small intestine.