Comparative responses of plasma glucose, insulin and C-peptide following ingestion of isocaloric glucose, a modified urban Saudi breakfast and dates in normal Saudi persons.

Diabetic patients are commonly advised without scientific basis to avoid ingestion of dates. Prior to undertaking studies in diabetic persons, we considered it important to establish the metabolic consequences of date ingestion in normal Saudi subjects. Nineteen normal subjects, 11 males and 8 females, aged 29.4 +/- 1.5 (mean +/- SEM) with a body mass index (BMI) of 22.1 +/- 0.5 were fed in a random order: a) a date meal (DM) consisting of approximately 300 calories (Carbohydrates - CHO 74.5 g, proteins 3.7 g and fats 0.66 g), b) a modified urban Saudi breakfast (SBF) 300 calories (oral glucose tolerance test - OGTT), on 3 different days at least 1 week apart. Plasma glucose (G), insulin (I) and C-peptide (C) values were determined at -30,0 and then every 30 minutes for 180 minutes. Glycemic indices for DM and SBF were also determined. G, I and C area profiles were not different between DM and SBF but were when compared with OGTT. This is the first documentation of the glycemic index for dates. For the "Khalas" variety it was found to be 57.7 +/- 8.5 and was significantly lower than that for SBF which was 79.0. Contrary to the usual belief, this study refutes the notion that ingestion of date adversely affects glucose tolerance compared with SBF in normal subjects. Similar results are observed in preliminary studies in diabetic subjects in our laboratory.