Glycaemic response of four mango fruits consumed in Enugu State

Background: Mango fruit is a delicious juicy drupe, commonly consumed in Nigeria. It is a seasonal fruits that is consumed by all. However, diabetic patients sometimes are afraid of spike in their blood sugar after consuming fruits of which mango is one of them. Evidenced based dietary counselling and nutrition eduction of the public requires such an empirical study to establish evidence. Objectives: This study examined the glycemic response, glycemic index and glycemic load of four mango fruits consumed in Nsukka, Enugu state. Methodology: Samples of four mango varieties (Opioro, Alphonso, Haden, and Sweet) were randomly selected from different markets in Nsukka, Enugu state, Nigeria. These samples were thoroughly washed in warm water to remove gums. The edible portion of the mango (alphonso, haden and sweet mango was consumed with the peels, while the peel of opioro mango was remove before consumption). The weight of each variety that will give about 25g available carbohydrate was used as the test meal. Voluntary human subjects who were informed about the research were used and withdrawal at any stage was allowed. Ethical approval given by Research Ethics Committee University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital Ituku-Ozalla. Available carbohydrate was determined using standard method. The glycemic response was done using the FAO protocols. Descriptive statistics (mean and standard deviation) was used to present the data obtained while analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to compare the means and turkey HSD test was used to separate the means. Results: Available carbohydrate was highest in Sweet mango (6.18g). Alphonso mango significantly (p<0.05) had the least effect on blood glucose levels. The glycemic index of the samples was 33 for Opioro, 4 for Alphonso, 15 for Haden and 39 for Sweet mangoes. The glycemic load ranged from 5.18 in Haden mango to 6.18 in Sweet mango. Conclusion: The study revealed that Alphonso mangoes could be used in planning diets for people with metabolic diseases like diabetes mellitus