GLYCEMIC RESPONSES AFTER INGESTION OF SOME LOCAL FOODS BY NON-INSULIN-DEPENDENT DIABETIC SUBJECTS

Fifteen non-insulin dependent diabetic volunteers, aged 51 +/- 3.9 yea rs, were studied over a two month period to determine their glycaemic responses to various local foods, They were all on chlorpropamide and one subject was removed from analysis due to concurrent use of insulin , They received on separate occasions two servings of white bread, one serving of: brown bread, white lice, English potatoes, maize meal, mi llet and cassava each, Each meal contained 50 g of carbohydrate, A tot al of 107 glucose tolerance tests (GTTs) were performed and the glycae mic index (GI) for each food calculated. The mean blood sugars at 0, 6 0 and 120 minutes were comparable for each food, and the peak rise occ urred at 50 minutes. The highest rise (4.0 mmol/l) was seen with mille t porridge, The highest GI was seen with white rice and the lowest wit h English potatoes (159.9 and 34.3 respectively), Overall, the cereals conferred higher GIs than the root vegetables, The GIs of English pot atoes, maize meal, millet and cassava significantly differed from that of white bread, It is concluded that, using GIs, dietary guidelines c omprising locally available and affordable foods can be made.