Dietary Pectin and Glycemic Control in Diabetes

Seventeen diabetic subjects requiring insulin and who exhibited glycemic stability over a 9–12-mo control period received 5 g of pectin with each meal and at bedtime for 3 mo. Hemoglobin A_1c (HbA_1c) and glycosylated serum protein were measured in each patient on multiple occasions to assess glycemic control. No clear-cut change in these measurements occurred during the period of pectin ingestion. These data are not consistent with a beneficial effect of high-pectin diets in people with diabetes.