Glucose and insulin levels on loading with different carbohydrates.

Normal subjects were given, on separate occasions, equivalent amounts of glucose, surcrose (""sugar''), and carbohydrates in the form of bread and starch. Neither the glucose, nor the insulin values showed any significant difference in these persons after they had been loaded with the various carbohydrates. The conclusion that can be drawn from this study is that neither the insulin demand nor the secretion rate of insulin are influenced by the type of carbohydrate given. The rate-limiting step, therefore, is the rate of uptake through the intestinal wall, rather than the hydrolysis of the carbohydrate.