Journal of Nutrition & Food Sciences
Open Access
ISSN: 2155-9600
ISSN: 2155-9600
Areej Almousa, Merciamma Thomas, Hisham Siddieg, Shiby Varghese and Salahedeen Abusnana
Background: The Glycemic Index (GI) of traditional bread has not been measured previously. Objective: To determine the GIs of 3 traditional breads and 3 commercial breads widely consumed in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Design: The study was conducted at the Rashid Center for Diabetes and Research in the UAE. Subjects (n=14) were served 50 g glucose (reference) on 3 occasions, followed by a selection of 50 g of available carbohydrates in the breads. Each bread was tested by 7 subjects, and these breads were 3 traditional breads (rigag, chbab, and khameer) and 3 commercial breads widely consumed in the UAE (white pita bread, khobuz; white bread roll, summon; whole-meal bread). After an 8- to 10-hour overnight fast, the subjects’ capillary blood glucose was measured via finger-prick samples over 120 min. The GI (%) of a specific bread for each subject was measured geometrically (trapezoids rule) by calculating the incremental area under the blood glucose response curve (IAUC) divided by the average IAUC for the reference (in triplicate) multiplied by 100. Then, the GI of the bread was calculated as the mean value across all subjects who consumed that bread. Results: Compared to the control (50 g glucose), the GIs of the traditional UAE bread ranged between low and medium; the GIs for rigag, chbab, and khameer were 48.21(15.6), 63.95 (7.06), and 63.91 (11.49), respectively. AllGIs exhibited a significant difference (P<0.05). However, the GIs of the 3 commercial breads ranged between medium and high. The GIs of khobuz, summon, and whole-meal bread were 70.11 (15.42) (P<0.05), 73.12 (4.63) (P>0.05), and 66.71 (14.68) (P<0.05), respectively. The correlation between the GI value in the studied portion and fat (r=0.04) and protein (r=0.18) was weak, but that with insoluble fiber was moderate (r=0.48). Conclusion: The GI values of these traditional UAE breads provide valuable information to healthcare providers, researchers, and the public. The difference between our GI values and that of previously tested food proves the importance of testing the food consumed in a particular country.