Diabetes Care, Vol 10, Issue 2 205-212, Copyright © 1987 by American Diabetes Association
Insulin and glucose responses to various starch-containing foods in type II diabetic subjects
PA Krezowski, FQ Nuttall, MC Gannon, CJ Billington and S Parker
The circulating insulin and glucose responses in type II diabetic subjects
were determined for 5 h after ingestion of various meals, each containing
50 g carbohydrate. The purpose of the study was to 1) systematically study
the insulin response to several different high-starch foods, 2) determine
whether this insulin response could be predicted by the glucose response,
and 3) determine whether the glucose response could be predicted by the
physical structure and digestibility of the ingested carbohydrate. Each
subject served as his own control. Carbohydrate was given in the form of
potatoes, bread, oatmeal, rice, lentils, kidney beans, cornflakes,
high-amylose corn muffins, and low-amylose corn muffins. Bread, oatmeal,
rice, lentils, kidney beans, and high-amylose corn muffins resulted in a
significantly lower glucose area than 50 g glucose, and the glucose
response generally could be predicted by the physical structure and the
known digestibility of the ingested carbohydrate. The insulin rise was
statistically significantly greater than would be predicted from the
glucose response for oatmeal, lentils, kidney beans, and high-amylose corn
muffins. Although not statistically significant, the mean was greater than
predicted for every other food except potatoes when the insulin response to
50 g glucose was used as a standard. These results indicate that the
insulin response cannot be predicted by the glucose response.