Diabetes, Vol 34, Issue 2 151-155, Copyright © 1985 by American Diabetes Association
The effects of variations in percent of naturally occurring complex and simple carbohydrates on plasma glucose and insulin response in individuals with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus
CB Hollenbeck, AM Coulston, CC Donner, RA Williams and GM Reaven
In the present study, 12 patients with non-insulin-dependent diabetes
mellitus (NIDDM) consumed eucaloric, mixed food diets on three consecutive
days. Diets provided 50% of the calories as carbohydrate, 35% as fat, and
15% as protein. The percent of carbohydrate fed as complex (starches) and
simple (mono- and disaccharides) varied among the 3 days. On day 1, the
diet contained 80% of the carbohydrate as complex and 20% as simple
(80/20); another contained 50% complex and 50% simple (50/50); and the
final diet contained 20% of the carbohydrate as complex and 80% as simple
(20/80). All simple carbohydrates represent naturally occurring sugars in
fruits, vegetables, and dairy products. No refined sugars were added to any
of the diets. The three experimental diets were randomly assigned using a 3
X 3 Latin square design. Blood was obtained hourly from 0800 to 1700 h for
day-long glucose and insulin concentrations, and 24-h urine collections
were made for the measurement of urine glucose. Mean (+/- SEM) day-long
glucose concentrations were significantly greater for the 80/20 diet (2245
+/- 199 mg/dl X h, P less than 0.05) than for either the 50/50 (2030 +/-
157 mg/dl X h) or the 20/80 diets (2008 +/- 160 mg/dl X h). No significant
differences were noted between the 50/50 and the 20/80 diets. In contrast,
day-long insulin concentrations were not significantly different with 401
+/- 62, 370 +/- 50, and 369 +/- 60 mu U/ml X h on the 80/20, 50/50, and
20/80 diets, respectively. Twenty-four-hour urinary glucose excretion
paralleled plasma glucose concentrations.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)