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CONFIDENTIAL
Regulatory Affairs &
Nutrition Communication – AJ/Se
28 May 2008
Page 8 of 16
Table 2: GI and II values (based on glucose as reference) for isomaltulose, sucrose and maltodextrin
determined at the Sydney University’s Glycaemic Index Research Service (2002).
Carbohydrate GI II
Isomaltulose 32 30
Sucrose 68 64
Maltodextrin 86 79
Glucose 100 100
Similar findings were made in previous studies. In the study of Macdonald and Daniel
(1983), ten healthy volunteers (age 18-35), who were adapted to isomaltulose by 8 test
meals, were given varying doses of up to 1 g/kg body weight of isomaltulose or sucrose
dissolved in water after overnight fasting. Blood glucose samples were taken before and at
certain intervals for a period of 90 minutes after intake for the determination of glucose,
fructose and insulin concentrations.
Blood glucose and insulin levels increased more slowly and reached lower peaks after
isomaltulose than after sucrose intake. While the blood glucose level typically returned to
baseline within 60 minutes after sucrose intake, it had not returned to baseline by 80
minutes after isomaltulose intake at the higher concentrations. Also plasma insulin and
fructose levels were only about half with isomaltulose compared with sucrose.
Livesey (2004) reanalysed the blood glucose and insulin curves of this study and calculated
GI values between 34 and 49 and II values between 17 and 31 from them.
Kawai et al (1985, 1989) compared changes in blood glucose and insulin levels in response
to the consumption of isomaltulose or sucrose (50g in 150 ml water, after overnight fasting)
in healthy (n=8 resp. n=10) and non-insulin dependent type 2 diabetic volunteers (n=10)
over 120 minutes (healthy) or 180 minutes (diabetics), respectively. In healthy subjects,
plasma glucose after isomaltulose intake gradually increased and maintained plateau until
120 minutes after intake. After sucrose intake, as opposed to isomaltulose, blood glucose
levels showed a significantly higher increase with a distinct peak at 30 minutes and
returned to the initial baseline level within 120 minutes. The corresponding insulin curves
followed these patterns, respectively. The overall blood glucose and insulin responses were
lower after isomaltulose than after sucrose.
Livesey (2004) calculated a GI of 32 (both times) and II values of 22 and 26, respectively,
for these blood glucose and insulin curves of isomaltulose in healthy volunteers.
In diabetics, the blood glucose and insulin levels following isomaltulose and sucrose
increased more gradually than in healthy subjects. However, as with the healthy, the blood
glucose rise after isomaltulose occurred more slowly and was lower than after sucrose.