EFFECTS OF STEVIOL GLYCOSIDES ON BLOOD GLUCOSE AND INSULIN LEVEL IN DIABETIC AND NON-DIABETIC PATIENTS.

Abstract

Stevioside, a natural sweetener, is accumulated in the leaves of the stevia (Stevia rebaudiana Bartoni), a member of the Asteraceae family is native to South America, where it has been used for its sweetness for hundreds of years. Steviol glycosides are 250 to 300 times sweeter than sucrose on weight basis. Due to the sweetness and medicinal properties of stevia, it has attracted economic and scientific interests. To address the increasing rates of diabetes and obesity problems sweeteners like stevia are gaining interest in customers and food manufacturers. Steviol glycosides have minimum metabolic effects on hypoglycemic, insulin secretion and glycosuria etc. For this purpose, we examined oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT), insulin level, reducing sugar in urine and urinary protein test in 16 patients, where as 8 man and 8 women and 8 non-diabetic & 8 diabetic patients. Three hundred milligram of steviol glycoside were ingested each patients and collected sample from the patients. Seven days after ingestion of 75g glucose, the similar test were done. After ingestion of steviol glycoside, blood glucose level was not increased in 1st and 2nd hours, also little bit decreased in 2nd hours in diabetic and non-diabetic patients. But after ingestion of glucose, blood glucose level was significantly increased in 1st and 2nd hours than fasting blood glucose and also the level of blood glucose in 1st and 2nd hours after ingestion of steviol glycosides. Insulin level was little bit increased in 1st hour after ingestion of steviol glycosides. In some patients with glycosuria, after ingestion of steviol glycosides passing of reducing sugar was completely removed and in some cases reduce little bit. Over all from my studies we can conclude that ingestion of steviol glycoside is beneficial for diabetic, as well as non-diabetic patients.