Effect of Five Vegetables on Glucose, Insulin and Antioxidant Activity in Type 2 Diabetics

Purpose: The study evaluated glycaemic index, insulinemic index and effect of vegetables on type 2 diabetics (T2D) after consumption of rice on postprandial plasma glucose (PPG), insulin and antioxidant activity. Methods: This study was on 100 consenting T2D who were on diet alone. One hundred non-diabetic workers served as control. Control consumed each vegetable (bitter leaf, scent leaf, waterleaf, spinach leaf, bush-buck leaf) or glucose (control) containing 50g of glycaemic carbohydrate to establish glycaemic and insulinemic indexes. The T2D consumed rice with each vegetable’s sauce or white sauce. Glucose and insulin were measured quarter hourly, for 2 hours. Results: All vegetables resulted in significantly lower incremental Area Under the Curve (AUC) for PPG and insulin compared to control in healthy participants. Glycaemic and insulinemic indexes values of bitter leaf, scent leaf, waterleaf, spinach leaf and bush-buckleaf were 38.51±2.21 and 42.33±3.22, 33.71±4.34 and 32.12±5.34, 35.62±3.52 and 38.32±5.32, 34.62±2.41 and 37.45±2.44 and 45.96±3.88 and 49.43±5.90 respectively which were considered low. Among T2D, there were significantly lower AUC for glucose and insulin and reduced PPG peaks after consumption of vegetables than white sauce. There was increased antioxidant activity after 2 hours measured by 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrilhidracyl methods. Conclusions: The vegetables could reduce PPG, insulin and increase antioxidant activity in healthy people and T2D.