Frozen Desserts and Glycemic Response in Well-Controlled NIDDM Patients

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 <160 mg/dl) with well-controlled diabetes and managed on oral hypoglycemic agents were studied. Subjects underwent three trials. In the first trial they ingested 50 g glucose, and in the next two trials they ingested 50-g carbohydrate equivalents of either TFD or IC in random sequence. Venous blood was drawn at intervals during the 3-h trials for glucose and insulin determinations. Fasting plasma glucose was not statistically different between IC and TFD trials (130 vs. 121 mg/dl). Peak glucose responses were at 120 min in both trials (190 mg/dl for IC and 222 mg/dl for TFD), with those for TFD being significantly higher (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.