EFFECT OF PLANTAIN AND COCOYAM SUBSTITUTION ON GLYCEMIC INDEX OF APPARENTLY HEALTHY NIGERIANS

¹Akinlotan J.V.  ²Olayiwola I.O. ³Ladokun A.⁴Sanni S.A

¹Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Moshood Abiola Polytechnic, Ojere, Abeokuta.

^2,4Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Federal University of Technology, Alabata, Abeokuta.

³Department of Animal Physiology, Federal University of Technology, Alabata, Abeokuta.

Abstract: Consumption of high and easily digestible carbohydrate foods could give higher glycemic index leading to higher risks of diabetes and other nutritional diseases.  Thus, careful combination of slowly digestible starchy food staples such as cocoyam and plantain could give appreciable low glycemic index and the required nutritional value.  Hence, this study evaluated the proximate and glycemic index (GI) of meals produced from formulated cocoyam-plantain (CP) flour blends of 95:5, 75:25 and 50:50 respectively.  Ten apparently healthy volunteers (5 males and 5 females) aged 19 – 30 years were fed for four days with the meals (“amala’’) from the flour blends to determine pro-pandial blood glucose level.  Blood sample were taken by prickling (fingertip) method for two hours at 30 minutes interval.  Glycemic index were calculated using incremental area under curve. Levels of significance were determined at 5% using Analysis of Variance.  Results showed that the GI ranged from 58 to 72 and glycemic load (92 – 218) for the meal.  .  Thus CP meals in 50:50 level of combination could be recommended as low GI diets.