Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Original Communication
  • Published:

A comparison between an in vitro method to determine carbohydrate digestion rate and the glycemic response in young men

European Journal of Clinical Nutrition volume 56, pages 735–739 (2002)Cite this article

Abstract

Objective: This study examines the relationship between the results of in vitro determinations of carbohydrate digestion rates and the glycemic index.

Subjects:Ten healthy non smoking men, aged between 21 and 24-y-old, were selected to participate in the study.

Methods: Six different meals with similar lelvels of carbohydrates were assayed at breakfast in ten subjects and blood samples were obtained at 0, 15, 30, 60 and 120 min to determine glucose levels. The Englyst's enzymatic method was used in the in vitro study. The six meals were based in cereals (rice or spaghetti); legumes (lentil soup and beans with spaghetti); and potato (potato stew with meat and vegetables).

Results: The meals showed different glycemic indices: rice and spaghetti based meals had lower values (mean value 31.4 and 42, respectiively); the intermediate values corresponded to lentil soup and the bean dish (49.3, and 76.8 respectively) and the higher glycemic index was shown by the potato based meal (82).

Conclusions: A significant correlation was observed when the ratio of rapid carbohydrate digestion rate and the lente carbohydrate digestion rate was correlated with the glycemic index of the meals, but not when only the rapid carbohydrate digestion rate was considered. These results demonstrate a useful, simple and inexpensive method to estimate the biological response of high carbohydrate meals.

Sponsorship: University of Chile, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Nutrition and Grant No 1980893 from FONDECYT.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Figure 1

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Bjorck I, Siljestrom M . 1987 In vivo and in vitro digestibility of starch in autoclaved pea and potato in the small intestine of man Am. Clin. Nutr. 45: 425–431

    Google Scholar 

  • Bjorck I, Gunnarson A, Ostergaard K . 1989 A study of native and chemically modified potato starch. Part II: digestibility in the rat intestinal tract Starch/Strake 41: 128–134

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bjorck I, Grandfeldt Y, Liljeberg H, Tovar J, Asp N-G . 1994 Food properties affecting the digestion and absorption of carbohydrates Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 59: (Suppl): 6995–7005S

    Google Scholar 

  • Byrnes SE, Brand Miller JC, Denyer GS . 1995 Amylopectin starch promotes the development of insulin resistance in rats J. Nutr. 125: 1430–1437

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Despres JP, Lamarche B, Mauriege P, Cantin B, Dagenais GR, Moorjani S, Lupien PJ . 1996 Hyperinsulinemia as an independent risk factors for ischemic heart disease New Engl. J. Med. 334: 952–957

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Englyst HN, Kingsman SM, Cummings JH . 1992 Classification and measurement of nutritionally important starch fractions Eur. J. Clin. Nutr. 46: 33S–50S

    Google Scholar 

  • Englyst HN, Veenstra J, Hudson GJ . 1996 Measurement of rapidly available glucose (RAG) in plant foods as in vitro predictor of glycemic response Br. J. Clin. Nutr. 73: 327–337

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Englyst KN, Englyst HN, Hudson GJ, Cole TJ, Cummings JH . 1999 Rapid available glucose in foods: an in vitro measurement that reflects the glycemic response Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 69: 448–454

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Foster-Powell K, Brand Miller J . 1995 International tables of glycemic index Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 62: (Suppl): S871–S890

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Grandfelt Y, Bjorck I . 1991 Glycemic response to starch in pasta: a study of mechanisms of limited enzyme susceptibility J. Cereal Sci. 14: 47–61

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Grandfelt Y, Hagander B, Bjorck I . 1995 Metabolic responses to starch in oat and wheat products. On the importance of food structure, incomplete gelatinization or presence of viscous dietary fibre Eur. J. Clin. Nutr. 49: 189–199

    Google Scholar 

  • Grandfelt Y, Eliasson A, Bjork I . 2000 An examination of the possibility of lowering the glycemic index of oat and barley flakes by minimal processing J. Nutr. 130: 2207–2214

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hermansen K, Rasmussen O, Arnfred J, Winter E, Schmitz C . 1986 Differential glycaemic effects of potato, rice and spaghetti in type I (insulin dependent) diabetic patients at constant insulinaemia Diabetologia 29: 358–361

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Holt SHA, Brand Miller JC . 1994 Particle size and glycemic response Eur. J. Clin. Nutr. 48: 496–502

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hoover R, Sosulski FW . 1991 Composition, structure, functionality and chemical modifications of legume starches: a review Can. J. Physiol. Pharmac. 69: 79

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hyggins JA, Brand Miller JC, Denyer GS . 1996 Development of insulin resistance in the rat is dependent on the rate of glucose absorption from the diet J. Nutr. 126: 569–602

    Google Scholar 

  • Jarvi AE, Karlstrom BE, Grandfelt Y, Bjorck I, Asp N-GL, Vessby BOH . 1999 Improved glycemic control and lipid profile and normalized fibrinolytic activity on a low-glycemic index diet in type 2 diabetic patients Diabetes Care 22: 10–18

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Leinonen K, Liukkonen K, Poutanen K, Uusitupa M, Mykkanen H . 1999 Rye bread decreases postprandial insulin response but does not alter glucose response in healthy Finnish subjects Eur. J. Clin. Nutr. 53: 262–267

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Pawlak D, Bryson IM, Denyer GH, Brand-Miller JC . 2001 High glycemic index starch promotes hypersecretion of insulin and higher body fat in rats without affecting insulin sensitivity J Nutr. 131: 99–104

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sigal RJ, El-Hashimy M, Martin BC, Soeldner JS, Krolewski AS, Warram JH . 1997 Acute postchallenge hyperinsulinemia predicts weight gain: a prospective study Diabetes 46: 1025–1029

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Snedecor GN, Cochran WG (eds). 1972 Statistical methods Ames University Press

    Google Scholar 

  • Soh NL, Brand Miller J . 1999 The glycaemic index of potatoes: the effect of variety, cooking method and maturity Eur. J. Clin. Nutr. 53: 249–254

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Urooj A, Puttaraj S . 2000 Glycaemic responses to cereal-based Indian food preparation in patients with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus and normal subjects Br. J. Nutr. 83: 483–488

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wiseman CE, Higgins JA, Denyer GS, Brand Miller JC . 1996 Amylopectin starch induces nonreversible insulin resistance in rats J. Nutr. 126: 410–415

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wolever TMS . 1990 The glycemic index World Rev. Nutr. Diet. 62: 120–185

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

This study was partially supported by the grant no. 1980893 from FONDECYT, Chile.

Author information

Author notes

  1. H Araya: Guarantor: H Araya

  2. H Araya, P Contreras, M Alviña, G Vera and N Pak: Contributors: HA, MA, NP and GV participated in the conception and design of the study, and HA, PC and NP in the analysis of the data. HA, NP, MA and GV participated in the interpretation of the data. HA and NP wrote the article. MA, NP and GV participated in the clinical control of particpants, diet design and supervision of the diet. PC was responsible for the laboratory work.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Nutrition, Faculty of Medicine, University of Chile, Santiago, Chile

    H Araya, P Contreras, M Alviña, G Vera & N Pak

Authors
  1. H Araya
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. P Contreras
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. M Alviña
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. G Vera
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. N Pak
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to H Araya.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Araya, H., Contreras, P., Alviña, M. et al. A comparison between an in vitro method to determine carbohydrate digestion rate and the glycemic response in young men. Eur J Clin Nutr 56, 735–739 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ejcn.1601386

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ejcn.1601386

Keywords

This article is cited by

Search

Advanced search

Quick links