Glycemic index of some protein-free food products for individuals with non-dialysis-dependent chronic kidney disease.

BACKGROUND

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a major public health issue and the third leading cause of death globally. In the conservative phase of CKD, a low-protein diet is recommended to slow disease progression, and protein-free products are commonly used in clinical nutrition for CKD. Since diabetes is highly prevalent in this population, it is crucial that such foods also have a low glycemic index (GI) to support glycemic control and reduce associated complications. This study aimed to assess the GI of selected commercial protein-free products.

METHODS

Twelve healthy volunteers (six males, six females; mean age 20.7 ± 0.8 years; BMI 22.6 ± 3.6 kg/m²) consumed four commonly available protein-free foods: sliced white bread, pasta, crackers, and cookies filled with vanilla cream (with sweeteners). The GI of each product was calculated according to ISO 2010 standards, using glucose as a reference. Each test meal provided 50 g of available carbohydrates.

RESULTS

GI values ranged from 48 for cookies filled with vanilla cream to 69 for crackers. Sliced white bread (GI 49.4) and cookies (GI 47.8) were classified as low-GI foods, while pasta (GI 68.2) and crackers (GI 69.2) fell within the medium-GI range.

CONCLUSION

Several commercially available protein-free products exhibit low to moderate GI values, supporting their use in dietary management of patients with non-dialysis-dependent CKD and or at risk of diabetes. However, given the growing market of such products, further studies-including those on patients with CKD-are needed to expand the current evidence base.