Search

Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and a control group were given meals with either high or low glycemic index (GI). Meals were isocaloric and each type contained 50 g of carbohydrates. COPD patients being treated with theophylline or theophylline+prednisone exhibited impaired glucose curves following a glucose (50 g) load. Their insulin levels were also higher than in the control group. High-GI meals caused a deterioration in the glucose response of COPD subjects, particularly those treated with theophylline+prednisone. In contrast, low-GI lead to a moderate increase in glucose response. A similar effect was observed on insulin levels. Inclusion of low-GI food into the diets of COPD patients may be useful in diet planning, mainly when steroids are used as a means of treatment.

A high dietary fiber breakfast cereal (Disivit TM ), prepared from oats, corn, wheat and soybean, was tested for its therapeutic efficacy in patients suffering from constipation and hyperlipidemia. In a double-blind, cross-over trial, a daily dose of 50 grams Disivit TM cereal, containing 12.5 grams dietary fiber, was administered to 20 constipated patients for 2 weeks, and to 20 hyperlipidemic patients for 4 weeks. The high fiber cereal was alternated with a low fiber placebo given for a similar time period; fiber and placebo were given in random order. In the constipated patients taking fiber cereal, bowel movement frequency and stool consistency improved significantly and laxative intake was reduced. In the hyperlipidemic patients taking fiber, the serum cholesterol dropped significantly (but also during placebo treatment), the serum triglycerides dropped (but without attaining statistical significance) and the HDL and LDL levels were not altered. In summary, the fiber cereal appears to be a suitable short-term treatment for constipation, although its long-term efficacy requires further study. Regarding hyperlipidemia, the trend of the cereal to lower the serum cholesterol and triglycerides warrants further study, by adding more soluble fiber to the cereal formula or using a longer treatment period.

The effect of α-glucosidase inhibitors (acarbose and miglitol) on the digestion of various sources of starch at different ages has been studied in fa/fa rats. These rats, become obese at 6 months of age and demonstrate impaired glucose tolerance accompanied by hyperinsulinemia. Acarbose and miglitol dramatically decreased the postprandial glucose level following potato, corn and rice loading. These drugs were less effective in 10-month old rats but to the extent which differed with the starch used. The percent inhibition achieved by acarbose from 2 to 10 months of age dropped from 68 27%; 78 to 44% and 62 to 50% for potato, corn and rice, respectively; the corresponding figures with miglitol was: 63 to 11%, 47 to 40% and 38 to 42%. These data, together with in vitro results, using the inverted sac technique, indicate that acarbose is more potent than miglitol. The effect of α-glucosidase inhibitors on starch digestion may depend on the nutrient composition and their interaction among nutrients in foods. Both drugs blunted the rise in glucose levels following starch ingestion in fa/fa rats. They may be a useful adjuvant in the treatment of obesity coupled with impaired glucose level. The effect of both drugs on carbohydrate digestion, mainly in old age, requires further elucidation.

Feeding for a 14-week period, of a diet containing soybean dietary fiber to Zucker fatty (fa/fa) rats decreased plasma glucose and insulin levels, while plasma triglyceride and cholesterol levels remained unchanged. The triglyceride and cholesterol levels in liver and epididymal fat-pads were lower in fiber-fed rats compared to those fed without fiber. Fecal weight was higher and transit time was also shorter in these rats. Soybean dietary fiber decreased the protein fecal excretion.