Does Fiber Source Affect Plasma Glucose and Insulin in Type 2 Diabetes?

The source of dietary fiber does not affect levels of postprandial plasma glucose or insulin in patients with type 2 diabetes, according to research presented at ENDO 2017: the 99th Annual Meeting & Expo, April 1-4, in Orlando, Florida.

Researchers from the Hospital de Clinicas de Porto Alegre in Brazil conducted a randomized, open label, crossover clinical trial to assess the effect of soluble dietary fiber on postprandial plasma glucose and insulin levels in patients with type 2 diabetes.

Primary study outcomes were postprandial responses of both plasma glucose and insulin (from 0 to 180 minutes).

Nineteen patients (mean age, 65.8±7.3 years) with type 2 diabetes for a 10-year duration (hemoglobin A1c, 7.0%±0.8%; body mass index, 28.2±2.9 kg/m²) completed 57 meal tests after 3 isocaloric breakfasts with a 1-week washout period between meals

The first meal included high content of soluble fiber from food sources, the second included high content of soluble fiber from supplements, and the third included usual fiber content.

The researchers found that plasma glucose areas under the curve were not different between the meals high in dietary fiber and those high in supplementary fiber (7860.8 mg/dL [95% CI, 6256.8-9464.8] vs 7847.4 mg/dL [95% CI, 5604.6-10,090.1], respectively)

Both were lower than the mean containing usual fiber (9526.6 mg/dL; 95% CI, 7548.8-11,504.4). Insulin areas under the curve did not differ among any meals (P =.877).

“[T]he intake of soluble fiber from foods or supplement in a usual meal results in the same glycemic response,” the researchers concluded. 

Reference

Azevedo MJ, de Carvalho CM, de Paula TP, Machado VTM, Almeida JC, Viana LV. Postprandial plasma glucose and insulin responses with different sources of soluble fiber in type 2 diabetes patients: A randomized crossover clinical trial. Presented at: ENDO 2017: the 99th Annual Meeting & Expo; April 1-4, 2017; Orlando, Florida. Abstract SUN 637.