Glycaemic and insulinaemic responses to orange and apple compared with white bread in non-insulin-dependent diabetic subjects.

To study the postprandial blood glucose and insulin responses to exchangeable amounts of simple and complex carbohydrates, eight non-insulin-dependent diabetic subjects consumed 227 g apple, 280 g orange or 50 g white bread on three separate days. The mean postprandial blood glucose response area to white bread (404 +/- 95 mM x 240 min) was significantly higher compared with orange (131 +/- 34 mM x 240 min; P less than 0.05) and apple (157 +/- 57 mM x 240 min; P less than 0.05). Thr glycaemic indices of the fruits were identical: 44 +/- 13 (orange) and 40 +/- 11 (apple). The low glycaemic response to orange and apple may be ascribed to the high content of fructose which is rapidly cleared and metabolized by the liver, without elevating the blood glucose.