Effects of dietary fiber on postprandial glycemic profiles in diabetic patients submitted to continuous programmed insulin infusion

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Abstract
Conventional (C) or fiber supplemented (F) test breakfast and lunch were given on 3 successive randomized days to six insulin-dependent diabetic patients treated with continuous programed insulin infusion. Meal distribution was as follows: day 1 (C breakfast and C lunch), day 2 (F breakfast and C lunch), day 3 (F breakfast and F lunch). No rise in blood glucose (BG) was observed after F breakfast (days 2 and 3) while a small rise in BG occurred after the C breakfast (day 1). Significant differences were observed between day 1 and days 2 and 3 for absolute BG values as well as for BG changes (ΔBG) from base-line. At lunch slight differences in ΔBG were only noted at 45 min (p < 0.05) between days 2 and 3, while there was no difference between days 1 and 2. Our results indicate that fiber supplementation is useful even in pump-treated insulin-dependent diabetics but that F breakfasts have no influence on the carbohydrate tolerance to the subsequent lunch.