Accuracy in Determining the Glycaemic Impact of Meals by Adding Individual Food Values Is Affected by Food Number, Homeostasis and Glucose Reference Dose

Abstract

Summing glycaemic glucose equivalent (GGE) values of foods in a meal would be a practical way to predict the relative glycaemic impact (RGI) of the meal, without measuring the whole meal postprandial effect. However, as glycaemic response is non-linear, and glycaemic responsiveness per gram of glucose decreases with dose, addition accumulates inaccuracy. This research described determined inaccuracies accruing during addition of GGE values of foods and identifies approaches to reduce inaccuracy. By combining five published glucose dose–glycaemic response curves, the relationship between GGE dose and response was shown to be nearly quadratic (R2 = 0.98). This curve allowed determination of the divergence between the theoretically true glycaemic glucose equivalence of food intakes and estimates obtained by extrapolating linearly from zero through responses to glucose reference doses of 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 and 60 g. For each reference, the disparity between the linearly determined sum of GGE values of foods in 20 realistic meals, and true homeostasis-adjusted glucose equivalence for each whole meal, was calculated. Summation of the GGE values of individual foods could lead to inaccurate (>5 g GGE) estimates of the RGI of meals, depending on the GGE total, the number of foods, and the size of the glucose reference. Inaccuracy that accumulates during linear addition of GGE values of foods limits the range in which they can be used linearly in dietary management, public health and epidemiology. However, the steps discussed herein may be taken to allow for non-linearity.