Abstract
The in vivo glycemic and insulin responses and in vitro starch digestibility were determined for six staple foods (corn, lima beans, white and yellow teparies, mesquite, and acorns) traditionally consumed by Pima Indians. Equivalent carbohydrate portions (25 g) of the foods were fed to eight healthy Caucasian volunteers. The calculated glycemic indices (GIs) (x̄ ± SEM with glucose as the standard) were all low, ranging from 16 ± 2 for acorns to 40 ± 5 for corn. Insulin responses and in vitro starch digestibilities correlated with the GI. These results provide further support for the hypothesis that the slow digestion and absorption of starch in traditional foods was a factor that helped protect susceptible populations from developing diabetes.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 416-420 |
Number of pages | 5 |
Journal | American Journal of Clinical Nutrition |
Volume | 51 |
Issue number | 3 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Mar 1990 |
Keywords
- Carbohydrate
- Glycemic index
- Pima Indian
- Traditional foods
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Medicine (miscellaneous)
- Nutrition and Dietetics