Berries Lower Glucose Response

KUOPIO, FinlandBerries rich in polyphenols decreased the postprandial glucose response of sucrose in healthy subjects during a randomized, controlled, crossover study published in the British Journal of Nutrition (2010;103(8):1094-97). Table sugar, a.k.a. sucrose, increases after-meal blood glucose concentrations, and diets with a high glycemic response may be associated with increased risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease (CVD). Berries are rich sources of various polyphenols and berry products are typically consumed with sucrose so researchers investigated the glycemic effect of a berry purée made of bilberries, blackcurrants, cranberries and strawberries, and sweetened with sugar, in comparison to sugar with adjustment of available carbohydrates. A total of 12 healthy subjects (11 women and one man, aged 25 to 69 years) with normal fasting plasma glucose ingested 150 g of the berry purée with 35 g of sucrose or a control sucrose load.

After consuming the berry meal, the plasma glucose concentrations were significantly lower at 15 and 30 minutes and significantly higher at 150 minutes compared with the control meal. The peak glucose concentration was reached at 45 minutes after the berry meal and at 30 minutes after the control meal. The peak increase from the baseline was 1.0 mmol/l smaller (P = 0.002) after ingestion of the berry meal. There was no statistically significant difference in the three-hour area under the glucose response curve. The delayed and attenuated glycemic response indicated reduced digestion and/or absorption of sucrose from the berry meal.