Prediction of glycemic response to mixed meals in noninsulin-dependent diabetic subjects.

Recent studies suggest the glycemic response of different mixed meals cannot be predicted from the glycemic index (GI) of individual carbohydrate foods. Postprandial glucose levels following five different mixed meals in six noninsulin-dependent diabetic volunteers were therefore assessed. Each meal comprised 50% carbohydrate, 30% fat, and 20% protein, varying only in type of carbohydrate. The carbohydrate exchanged in each meal (potato, white bread, rice, spaghetti, or lentils and barley) contributed 37% of total meal calories. The correlation between predicted glucose response and postprandial glucose area was highly significant; estimated meal GI was virtually proportional to the actual mean glycemic response. These results demonstrate that the relative glycemic effects of mixed meals can be predicted from the GI of their carbohydrate components, again stressing the importance of type of carbohydrate in regulating postprandial blood-glucose levels.