Abstract

Glycemic and Insulinemic responses to pumpkin and unripe papaya by estimating their glycemic index (GI) and insulinemic index (measured by c-peptide) from Bangladeshi origin were investigated in T2DM patients. Based on serving size in the Bangladeshi society, the GL of those two food items were also calculated. Ten T2DM subjects, under a cross-over design, consumed equi-carbohydrate amount (25g of total carbohydrate) of the vegetables and WB (white bread, as reference food), with a run in period of 7 days between the consecutive items. Serum levels of glucose were estimated at 0, 15, 30, 45, 60, 90, 120, 150 and 180 min, respectively, and c-peptide levels were at 0 and 180 min only. GI and GL were calculated by standard formulas. Unripe papaya showed significant lower serum glucose response compared to that of bread and pumpkin. The GI of pumpkin and unripe papaya were 74 ± 42 and 23 ± 7, respectively. The substantially lowered glycemic response and GI values in pumpkin and unripe papaya were not paralleled by an increased insulin response. The GL of Pumpkin and unripe papaya were 6.4 and 1.5, respectively. As judged against the mean values of the international table, pumpkin of Bangladeshi origin is a high GI and unripe papaya is a very low GI food. However, from the dietary practices in Bangladeshi society, pumpkin and papaya may be used as a low and very low GL food, respectively.

Key words: Diet, vegetable, unripe papaya, pumpkin, Type 2 diabetes mellitus,glycemic index, glycemic load.