Frozen Desserts and Glycemic Response in Well-Controlled NIDDM Patients

Abstract

Fructose is known to elicit a lower glycemic response than sucrose, and high-fructose desserts have been recommended for a diabetic diet. We compared a cholesterol-free tofu-based frozen dessert (TFD) containing high-fructose corn syrups with a dairy-based sucrose-sweetened ice cream (IC). Six male and six female non-insulin-dependent diabetic patients (mean age 51 yr, mean ideal body weight 143%, fasting blood glucose P < 0.01). Mean glucose area and glycemic index for TFD were significantly greater than for IC (P < 0.01 and P < 0.03, respectively). There was no significant difference between mean insulin areas. In summary, the TFD, which contains soybean curd and high-fructose corn syrup, might have been expected to produce more satisfactory postprandial blood glucose levels than IC, which contains sucrose, yet a higher glycemic response was elicited. This is related to the substantial amount of total glucose in this “fructose” dessert. The study highlights the error of using individual components of a commercially prepared food to recommend a product for diabetic patients.