TY - JOUR
T1 - Prediction of postprandial glycemia and insulinemia in lean, young, healthy adults
T2 - Glycemic load compared with carbohydrate content alone
AU - Bao, Jiansong
AU - Atkinson, Fiona
AU - Petocz, Peter
AU - Willett, Walter C.
AU - Brand-Miller, Jennie C.
PY - 2011/5/1
Y1 - 2011/5/1
N2 - Background: Dietary glycemic load (GL; defined as the mathematical product of the glycemic index and carbohydrate content) is increasingly used in nutritional epidemiology. Its ability to predict postprandial glycemia and insulinemia for a wide range of foods or mixed meals is unclear. Objective: Our objective was to assess the degree of association between calculated GL and observed glucose and insulin responses in healthy subjects consuming isoenergetic portions of single foods and mixed meals. Design: In study 1, groups of healthy subjects consumed 1000-kJ portions of 121 single foods in 10 food categories. In study 2, healthy subjects consumed 2000-kJ servings of 13 mixed meals. Foods and meals varied widely in macronutrient content, fiber, and GL. Glycemia and insulinemia were quantified as area under the curve relative to a reference food (= 100). Results: Among the single foods, GL was a more powerful predictor of postprandial glycemia and insulinemia than was the available carbohydrate content, explaining 85% and 59% of the observed variation, respectively (P < 0.001). Similarly, for mixed meals, GL was also the strongest predictor of postprandial glucose and insulin responses, explaining 58% (P = 0.003) and 46% (P = 0.01) of the variation, respectively. Carbohydrate content alone predicted the glucose and insulin responses to single foods (P < 0.001) but not to mixed meals. Conclusion: These findings provide the first large-scale, systematic evidence of the physiologic validity and superiority of dietary GL over carbohydrate content alone to estimate postprandial glycemia and insulin demand in healthy individuals.
AB - Background: Dietary glycemic load (GL; defined as the mathematical product of the glycemic index and carbohydrate content) is increasingly used in nutritional epidemiology. Its ability to predict postprandial glycemia and insulinemia for a wide range of foods or mixed meals is unclear. Objective: Our objective was to assess the degree of association between calculated GL and observed glucose and insulin responses in healthy subjects consuming isoenergetic portions of single foods and mixed meals. Design: In study 1, groups of healthy subjects consumed 1000-kJ portions of 121 single foods in 10 food categories. In study 2, healthy subjects consumed 2000-kJ servings of 13 mixed meals. Foods and meals varied widely in macronutrient content, fiber, and GL. Glycemia and insulinemia were quantified as area under the curve relative to a reference food (= 100). Results: Among the single foods, GL was a more powerful predictor of postprandial glycemia and insulinemia than was the available carbohydrate content, explaining 85% and 59% of the observed variation, respectively (P < 0.001). Similarly, for mixed meals, GL was also the strongest predictor of postprandial glucose and insulin responses, explaining 58% (P = 0.003) and 46% (P = 0.01) of the variation, respectively. Carbohydrate content alone predicted the glucose and insulin responses to single foods (P < 0.001) but not to mixed meals. Conclusion: These findings provide the first large-scale, systematic evidence of the physiologic validity and superiority of dietary GL over carbohydrate content alone to estimate postprandial glycemia and insulin demand in healthy individuals.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=79955436793&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.3945/ajcn.110.005033
DO - 10.3945/ajcn.110.005033
M3 - Article
C2 - 21325437
AN - SCOPUS:79955436793
VL - 93
SP - 984
EP - 996
JO - American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
JF - American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
SN - 0002-9165
IS - 5
ER -