Abstract
This cross-over study evaluates the effect of long-term guar gum (G) and guar gum-fructose (GF) diet on the diabetes balance in children with IDDM. We studied 22 children aged 8.9-15.9 years with a mean duration of diabetes of 4.4 (0.7-14.8) years. All were on 2 daily insulin injections. The diet was supplemented for 3 weeks with G, (5% of daily carbohydrate intake in crips bread, rolls, marmalade etc.) and with GF (30 g/d or 1 g of fructose/kg body weight) for another 3 weeks. The diabetes balance was assessed by glucosuria index (percent of tests with less than 1% glucosuria of all urine tests) and measurements of glycosylated haemoglobin (GHbA1c) at the beginning and end of each diet period. Serum total and HDL-cholesterol, C-peptide, pancreatic and enteroglucagon were also measured. Glucosuria index improved during both diets (p<0.01). GHbAlc decreased from 9.3± 1.6 to 8.5± 1.3 (mean± SD, p<0.001) during G and to 8.2± 1.6% (p<0.001) during GF diet. Serum total cholesterol decreased from 4.72± 0.82 to 4.28± 0.82 (p<0.01) and to 4.31± 0.72 mmol/1 (p<0.02), respectively. Guar gum in the diet of diabetic children appears to improve the balance of diabetes in long term use.
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Mäenpää, J., Paganus, A., Simell, O. et al. Long-term effect of palatable guar gum diet in diabetic children (IDDM). Pediatr Res 18, 1220 (1984). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198411000-00116
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198411000-00116