Glycaemic responses after ingestion of 3 local carbohydrate-based foods in West Indian patients with type-2 diabetes mellitus.
OBJECTIVE
Previous studies suggest that inadequate glycaemic control in diabetic patients might be related to the type of carbohydrates the patients consume regularly. Thus, we aimed to assess glucose and insulin responses after diabetic and non-diabetic subjects ingested 3 commonly consumed carbohydrate-based foods.


METHODS
Thirty-eight type-2 diabetic and 27 non-diabetic subjects were studied in 3 different occasions of 7 days apart. On each day of the study, anthropometric indices were measured and after collecting fasting blood samples, subjects randomly consumed bread, roti or rice within 10 min. Subsequently 7 ml of venous blood samples were collected at 60, 90, 120 and 150 min for determination of glucose and insulin responses.


RESULTS
Although the diabetic patients were older than the healthy subjects (P < 0.05), both subjects had similar weight, body mass index and waist and hip circumferences (P > 0.05). The mean fasting and post meal plasma glucose concentrations for the 3 test foods were higher in diabetic patients than the corresponding values for the healthy subjects (all; P < 0.001). Generally, roti elicited the highest total incremental glucose responses in the diabetic patients irrespective of ethnic group (P < 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
There were variations in glucose and insulin responses to the 3 test foods. However, roti elicited the highest postprandial hyperglycaemia and should therefore be discouraged in regular dietary plan of diabetic patients.
Unit of Pathology and Microbiology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, The University of the West Indies, St Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago. ezenwaka@tstt.net.tt, ezenwaka@yahoo.com
Chidum E
CE
Ezenwaka
Risha
R
Kalloo
D000886:Anthropometry; D019540:Area Under Curve; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism*; D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000378:metabolism*; D004040:Dietary Carbohydrates / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D005215:Fasting; D005260:Female; D005951:Glucose Tolerance Test; D006801:Humans; D007328:Insulin / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019518:Postprandial Period; D014900:West Indies
D001786:Blood Glucose; D004040:Dietary Carbohydrates; D007328:Insulin