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Effect of the glycemic index of carbohydrates on day-long (10 h) profiles of plasma glucose, insulin, cholecystokinin and ghrelin

European Journal of Clinical Nutrition volume 63, pages 872–878 (2009)Cite this article

Abstract

Background:

Low glycemic index (GI) carbohydrates have been linked to increased satiety. The drive to eat may be mediated by postprandial changes in glucose, insulin and gut peptides.

Objective:

To investigate the effect of a low and a high GI diet on day-long (10 h) blood concentrations of glucose, insulin, cholecystokinin (CCK) and ghrelin (GHR).

Design:

Subjects (n=12) consumed a high and a low GI diet in a randomized, crossover design, consisting of four meals that were matched for macronutrients and fibre, and differed only in carbohydrate quality (GI). Blood was sampled every 30–60 min and assayed for glucose, insulin, CCK and GHR.

Results:

The high GI diet resulted in significantly higher glucose and insulin mean incremental areas under the curve (IAUC, P=0.027 and P=0.001 respectively). CCK concentration was 59% higher during the first 7 h of the low GI diet (394±95 pmol/l min) vs the high GI diet (163±38 pmol/l min, P=0.046), but there was no difference over 10 h (P=0.224). GHR concentration was inversely correlated with insulin concentration (Pearson correlation −0.48, P=0.007), but did not differ significantly between the low and high GI diets.

Conclusions:

Mixed meals of lower GI are associated with lower day-long concentrations of glucose and insulin, and higher CCK after breakfast, morning tea and lunch. This metabolic profile could mediate differences in satiety and hunger seen in some, but not all, studies.

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Acknowledgements

We thank our volunteers and Mrs Jenny Phuyal and Ms Kai Lin Ek for technical assistance.

This study was internally funded. JBM is a coauthor of The Low GI Diet Revolution (Marlowe & Co, New York, NY, 2005) and of The New Glucose Revolution book series (Hodder and Stoughton, London, England; Marlowe & Co; and Hodder Headline, Sydney, and elsewhere).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Human Nutrition Unit, School of Molecular and Microbial Biosciences (G08), The University of Sydney, NSW, Australia

    R C Reynolds, K S Stockmann, F S Atkinson, G S Denyer & J C Brand-Miller

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  1. R C Reynolds
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Correspondence to J C Brand-Miller.

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Reynolds, R., Stockmann, K., Atkinson, F. et al. Effect of the glycemic index of carbohydrates on day-long (10 h) profiles of plasma glucose, insulin, cholecystokinin and ghrelin. Eur J Clin Nutr 63, 872–878 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1038/ejcn.2008.52

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