1. ¹Department of Human Nutrition, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
2. ²The Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
3. ³Food, Nutrition, and Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada

Correspondence: Dr R Brown, Department of Human Nutrition, University of Otago, PO Box 56, Dunedin, New Zealand. E-mail: rachel.brown@otago.ac.nz

Received 31 October 2007; Revised 13 February 2008; Accepted 28 February 2008; Published online 9 April 2008.

Abstract

A randomized crossover study was carried out to determine whether moderate alcohol consumption the night preceding glycaemic index testing has an effect on glycaemic response. Test foods consisted of two glucose beverages and two bread samples, containing 50 g of available carbohydrate. Each test food was consumed with and without alcohol the night preceding testing. Glucose concentration was measured over 2 h and area under the curve (AUC) determined. The AUC for bread and glucose without and with alcohol did not differ for either the glucose drink (ratio (95% confidence intervals): 1.00 (0.8, 1.1)) or bread (0.9; (0.8, 1.1)). Further, there was no difference in the glycaemic index (GI) of the bread with and without alcohol (64 (6) vs 67 (2)%; P=0.78). Moderate alcohol consumption the evening before GI testing does not affect glycaemic response or GI determination.