Glycemic Index of Date Cultivars and Date-based Products

King Saud University40 enrolled

Overview

Dates are widely consumed worldwide and hold substantial cultural importance in many Middle Eastern communities. Despite growing interest in measuring the glycemic response and glycemic index of foods for both research and practical applications, studies examining the glycemic properties of different date cultivars and their derived products remain limited. This study aims to determine the glycemic index (GI) and glycemic load (GL) of commonly consumed Saudi date cultivars and their derived products in healthy subjects, and to evaluate their potential impact on postprandial glucose responses. The study will consist of 4 phases as follows: phase 1: Date varieties at Tamer stage; phase 2: date varieties at Rutab stage; phase 3: Date's debs; phase 4: Date's paste. For each phase, ten subjects will be asked to attend the laboratory in the morning after an overnight fast on several occasions. Each visit will be separated from the next by a "washout" day. The reference food, 50 g of glucose dissolve in 250 ml water will be tested on 3 alternating days to diminish day to day variation of glucose tolerance. 50g equivalent carbohydrates of dates will be consumed with 250 ml of water. Participants will be blinded to the type of the dates. Glucose will be measured in capillary blood samples following the two hours of the test meal consumption, at 15 min interval (0, 15, 30, 45, 60, 90 and 120 min) . A qualified technician will perform all blood glucose measurements.

Study Type

INTERVENTIONAL

Allocation

Purpose

BASIC_SCIENCE

Masking

NONE

Enrollment

Conditions

Glycaemic Response Measurements

Interventions

Date Cultivars and Date-based ProductsOTHER

Participants will consume 50 g of available carbohydrates from each date or date-based product, including 13 Tamer varieties, 12 Rutab varieties, 3 types of date paste, and 3 types of date molasses. Each product will be tested in a separate session.. The intervention will also include consumption of a glucose reference solution (50 g glucose) on three separate occasions.

Eligibility

Sex: ALLMin age: 18 YearsMax age: 55 YearsHealthy volunteers:

Medical Language ↔ Plain English

Inclusion Criteria: * Healthy adults aged 18 to 55 years * Normotensive (normal blood pressure) * Normal fasting glucose levels * Not taking any prescription medication * Able and willing to provide written informed consent Exclusion Criteria: * Morbid obesity (BMI \> 40 kg/m²) * Pre-diabetic status * Pregnancy * Any gastrointestinal disorders * History of gastroenteritis within the preceding six months * Previous gastrointestinal surgeries * Smoking * Presence of chronic conditions (e.g., asthma, rheumatoid arthritis) * Presence of acute illnesses (e.g., respiratory or urinary tract infections)

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

Glycemic Index

The glycemic index of each date cultivar and date-based product will be determined on designated test days by calculating the incremental area under the blood glucose response curve (iAUC) over the 120-minute postprandial period following consumption of a portion containing 50 g of available carbohydrates, relative to the iAUC of a reference glucose solution. Blood glucose measurements will be obtained at baseline (fasting) and at predefined time points up to 120 minutes after ingestion.

Time frame: Baseline (fasting) and up to 120 minutes post-consumption on each test day.

Secondary Outcomes

Glycemic Load (GL) of Fresh and Processed Date Products

The glycemic load of each date-based product will be calculated on each test day using the measured glycemic index and the available carbohydrate content of a typical serving, based on blood glucose measurements obtained at baseline and up to 120 minutes post-consumption.