Influence of ripeness of banana on the blood glucose and insulin response in type 2 diabetic subjects

Diabet Med. 1992 Oct;9(8):739-43. doi: 10.1111/j.1464-5491.1992.tb01883.x.

Abstract

Banana is a popular and tasty fruit which often is restricted in the diet prescribed for diabetic patients owing to the high content of free sugars. However, in under-ripe bananas starch constitutes 80-90% of the carbohydrate content, which as the banana ripens changes into free sugars. To study the effect of ripening on the postprandial blood glucose and insulin responses to banana, 10 type 2 (non-insulin-dependent) diabetic subjects consumed three meals, consisting of 120 g under-ripe banana, 120 g over-ripe banana or 40 g white bread on separate days. The mean postprandial blood glucose response area to white bread (181 +/- 45 mmol l-1 x 240 min) was significantly higher compared with under-ripe banana (62 +/- 17 mmol l-1 x 240 min: p < 0.01) and over-ripe banana (106 +/- 17 mmol l-1 x 240 min: p < 0.01). Glycaemic indices of the under-ripe and over-ripe bananas differed (43 +/- 10 and 74 +/- 9: p < 0.01). The mean insulin response areas to the three meals were similar: 6618 +/- 1398 pmol l-1 x 240 min (white bread), 7464 +/- 1800 pmol l-1 x 240 min (under-ripe banana) and 8292 +/- 2406 pmol l-1 x 240 min (over-ripe banana). The low glycaemic response of under-ripe compared with over-ripe bananas may be ascribed to the high starch content, which has previously been found to be only hydrolysed slowly by alfa-amylase in humans.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Blood Glucose / metabolism*
  • Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / blood*
  • Dietary Carbohydrates*
  • Female
  • Fruit* / chemistry
  • Humans
  • Insulin / blood*
  • Insulin / metabolism
  • Insulin Secretion
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Starch
  • Time Factors

Substances

  • Blood Glucose
  • Dietary Carbohydrates
  • Insulin
  • Starch