Net Carb vs Blood Sugars – The Quest Protein Bar Test

PART 1 on YOUTUBE:

PART 2 on YOUTUBE:

 If you can’t view YouTube or if you want to download these videos, then . . .

SEE PART 1 – Net Carb Test — Part 1 (3 1/2 Minutes)

SEE PART 2 –  Net Carb Test — Part 2 (4 1/2 Minutes)

SEE DATA SUMMARY (PDF)

Editor’s Note:   Many companies advertise high-fiber, “net carb” products as safe for diabetics to use liberally, but many people with diabetes have observed that these products can drive up their blood sugars more than expected. When people make these observations one person at a time, they may feel like outliers, especially in the face of industry and scientific studies that state that net carb products do not raise blood sugars.  But some experts and advocates have persisted at looking more closely at “Net Carb” product, including:  Jimmy Moore at his Livin La Vida blog, David Mendosa through Diabetes Central, and Ron Rosedale through his Facebook blog.

To check this out from a first-hand perspective, Boulder’s Very Low Carbohydrate Diabetes Support Group conducted a citizen-based “test” of a “4 net carb” Quest Protein bar.  The Quest company donated the bars for this test.  Type II diabetics Barry Erdman and David Mendosa, Type 1 diabetic Jeff Roaderick and others helped develop the protocol.  The group is aware that their experience is not a scientifically conclusive test, due to the small sampling size.  Nevertheless, this first-hand experience, in a group setting, led many of the roughly dozen people who participated to wonder whether some other community groups might want to conduct similar tests, on similarly labeled “net carb” products.  Perhaps, together, community groups can find some clearer answers about these products than those being provided right now by food  companies and by regulatory agencies such as the FDA.  Questions this Boulder citizens’ group have include:

1.  What’s a good rule of thumb for calculating the effect of fiber carbs on blood sugar?  (The group is inclined toward 1 fiber carb = 1/2 regular carb)

2.  Why do some people have a stronger response to fiber carbs than others?  This group, for instance, is wondering whether insulin resistance and insulin production affect blood sugar response.  Additionally, this group wonders whether inflammatory responses to substances such as glutens, grains or dairy might affect blood sugar response.

3.  How representative is this result?  In this group,  half the participants saw a 50% rise in their blood sugars, within 1 hour of eating the Quest Protein Bar.

As an additional note, in this experiment, we tested Quest Protein Bars that were donated by the Quest Protein Bar company.  That company is continuing to work with us to figure out what, in their protein bars, seems to raise blood sugars in some people.  Is it the fiber?  (their science studies seem to say no)  Is it the whey (it shouldn’t, supposedly, but we’re going to check it out.)

TEST PROTOCOL (Provided by Jeff Roaderick)

If any other groups are interested in trying this kind of test, here is the protocol we used:

 Food Item : one peanut butter Quest Bar  – David Mendosa will provide.

Testing protocol:

Test 1: Fasting Blood Sugar Before Breakfast AND before 8am

Test 2: 10:15 am (Just before eating Quest Protein Bar)

Test 3: 11:15 am (This is the 1-hour after eating Quest “Net 4 Carb” Protein Bar

REQUIREMENT #5:  Fill out forms that:

1.  Record Your Blood Sugars at each testing time

2.  Identify your Diabetes As:  Type1/Type2?