Glycaemic and Insulin Response of Some Common Ugandan Foods in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes

Abstract

Abstract BACKGROUND Measuring glycaemic response to foods enables selecting the most appropriate in diabetes management. OBJECTIVE To determine the glycaemic and insulin response of three selected Ugandan meals in persons with type 2 diabetes namely: Katogo, Bushera and Chai-no-Mugati. METHODS Six type 2 diabetes and six matched healthy control participants were studied. On the day of testing, an indwelling sampling catheter was inserted in an antecubital vein from which blood samples were collected to assay for c-peptide and plasma glucose. Plasma glucose samples were obtained at 0, 15, 30, 45, 60, 90, and 120 min following consumption of foods. C-peptide samples were collected at 0 and 120 minutes. Participants reported every three days and consecutively consumed the Katogo, Bushera and Chai-no-Mugati as breakfast. Glucose response curves were plotted and Insulin response calculated as difference between fasting and 120 minutes post meal. RESULTS Glycaemic response was highest in Katogo (107.3%), then Bushera (71.9%) and lowest in Chai-no-Mugati (89.4%) (p < 0.001). Similarly, insulin response was highest in Katogo, but least in Bushera. CONCLUSION Katogo elicited the highest glycaemic response, Bushera elicited the lowest; and Chai-no-Mugati was intermediate. The Katogo used in this study is associated with high insulin response and unfavourably high glycaemic response.