American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol 48, 1413-1417, Copyright © 1988 by The American Society for Clinical Nutrition, Inc

ORIGINAL RESEARCH COMMUNICATIONS

Sustained pectin ingestion: effect on gastric emptying and glucose tolerance in non-insulin-dependent diabetic patients

SE Schwartz, RA Levine, RS Weinstock, S Petokas, CA Mills and FD Thomas
Department of Medicine and Radiology (Nuclear Medicine), State University of New York, SUNY Health Science Center 13210.

The effects of sustained pectin ingestion on gastric emptying, glucose tolerance, and hormone responses were studied in 12 stable, non-insulin- dependent (type 2) diabetic patients. Patients were placed on a 2400 kcal, low-fiber (3 g) diet for 2 wk, followed by 4 wk of an isocaloric diet supplemented with 20 g apple pectin/d. Gastric-emptying half-time, plasma glucose, glucagon, and human pancreatic polypeptide levels were determined. Gastric-emptying half-time was prolonged 43% (p less than 0.025) by pectin supplementation and returned to normal 3 d after its discontinuation. Fiber supplementation decreased the incremental area under the glucose tolerance curve from 34.8 +/- 3.0 to 27.9 +/- 3.2 mmol/L (p less than 0.01) but did not affect hormonal responses to a meal. Sustained pectin ingestion slowed the gastric-emptying rate and improved glucose tolerance; however, a direct relationship could not be demonstrated between changes in gastric emptying and changes in the incremental area under the glucose curve (r = 0.22).