Effects of fructo-oligosaccharides on blood glucose and serum lipids in diabetic subjects

Daily intake of 8.0 g per day of fructo-oligosaccharides for fourteen days significantly reduced mean fasting blood glucose levels by 15 mg/dl, mean serum total cholesterol levels by 19 mg/dl and LDL-cholesterol levels by 17 mg/dl in diabetic subjects (n=18), while the control diabetic subjects (n=10) who were given 5.0 g per day of sucrose showed no significant changes. The levels of serum HDL-cholesterol, triglycerides or free fatty acids were not significantly affected either by fructo-oligosaccharides or sucrose. These results indicate that the daily intake of fructo-oligosaccharides ameliorates the derangements of carbohydrate and lipid metabolism in diabetic subjects.