Search

To compare the effect on blood glucose concentrations of guar incorporated into crispbreads with that of unprocessed high-fibre foods groups of four to six diabetics took a total of seven test breakfasts on separate days. By comparison with a breakfast of wholemeal bread and cheese, guar crispbread combined with bread reduced the area under the glucose response curve to 51% (p < 0.05); bread and soya beans reduced the area to 65% (p < 0.05); guar crispbread with soya beans to 25% (p < 0.002); and soya beans with lentils to 29% (p < 0.002). Porridge and cornflake breakfasts showed no difference. The favourable results with leguminous seeds may not make such meals more acceptable than meals of guar products, but a combination of leguminous seeds and guar may allow smaller and more acceptable amounts of both to be used.

Symptoms associated with carbohydrate malabsorption limit the usefulness to diabetics of a powerful glycoside-hydrolase inhibitor (acarbose) which reduces postprandial glycaemia. Addition of a low dose (50 mg) of a acarbose together with 14.5 g guar gum to a breakfast test meal taken by 8 healthy volunteers reduced the mean peak rise in blood-glucose at 30 min by 70%. Areas under the insulin and gastrointestinal-polypeptide response curves were also greatly reduced. No evidence of carbohydrate malabsorption, as assessed by measurement of breath hydrogen, was found during any of the test periods. When acarbose was taken alone, 3 of the 8 subjects had troublesome symptoms and the 30 min rise in blood-glucose was reduced by only 28%. Thus, combination of these two agents effectively reduces the rate of carbohydrate absorption without increasing side-effects and may make combined acarbose and guar acceptable in the management of some diabetics.