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CONFIDENTIAL
Regulatory Affairs &
Nutrition Communication – AJ/Se
28 May 2008
Page 10 of 16
4. Discussion: General Characteristics of the Glycemic and Insulinemic Properties of
Isomaltulose as compared to Sucrose
After more than 20 years of research, in the past years there has been increasing
awareness and attention within the nutrition and health community as well as on a
consumer level towards the role of low glycemic carbohydrate foods within a healthy diet. A
steadily growing body of research shows that the carbohydrate-based diet recommended
for the general population should be based on mainly low-glycemic carbohydrates, as
parameters associated with the development of typical Western chronic diseases like
obesity, diabetes, coronary heart disease and possibly some types of cancer are influenced
beneficially, as compared to a carbohydrate-based high-glycemic diet. In other words, the
low-fat high-carbohydrate diet as advocated by WHO as well as health organisations in
Western countries could be further improved by switching from high glycemic to low
glycemic food choices. In this respect, WHO recommended in their expert consultation
paper on carbohydrates in 1998 to also consider the glycemic effect of food carbohydrates
when choosing between foods of similar composition within food groups. Since then, a
number of publications reviewed the scientific literature of the last 20 years of research in
this field in detail and strengthened the “good evidence” mentioned above (e.g. Augustin et
al 2002; Ludwig 2002; Jenkins 2002; Leeds 2002; Willett et al 2002; Brand-Miller et al
2003; Oppermann et al 2004; Berg et al 2005).
While high glycemic carbohydrates are characterised by a fast release and higher blood
glucose levels resulting in greater insulin demand, low glycemic carbohydrates cause only
a slower and overall low increase in blood glucose and corresponding insulin levels.
Further influencing factors are summarized earlier in this paper (Table 3).
Typical blood glucose and insulin changes in response to 50 g intake of isomaltulose and
sucrose are shown in Figures 5 and 6. These curves are based on a retrospective analysis
by Livesey (2004) taking the above mentioned studies (see under point 3) into account.