Cornstarch ingestion after oral glucose loading: effect on glucose concentrations, hormone response, and symptoms in patients with postprandial hypoglycemic syndrome
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Updated: Aug 12, 2026

Characterization of Metabolic Status in Nonhuman Primates with the Intravenous Glucose Tolerance Test
Published on: November 13, 2016
R Lozano1, S A Chalew, A A Kowarski
1Department of Pediatrics, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore 21201.
Abstract:
In susceptible individuals ingestion of glucose can lead to clinical symptoms of hypoglycemia as well as a reflex rise of counterregulatory hormones. We hypothesized that cornstarch, a slowly absorbed starch, might prevent hypoglycemic-symptom episodes. Eight patients who had characteristic signs, symptoms, and reflex hormonal responses of hypoglycemia at the glucose nadir after ingesting 75 g glucose (OGTT) participated. Patients ingested 75 g glucose followed by 75 g raw cornstarch (OGTT + CS). None of the patients reported symptoms or had signs of hypoglycemia in response to OGTT + CS. The glucose nadir concentration during OGTT + CS (3.8 +/- 0.6 mmol/L) was significantly higher than during OGTT (3.2 +/- 0.6; P less than 0.03). The responses of cortisol (331 +/- 166 nmol) and epinephrine (491 +/- 589 pmol/L) at the glucose nadir during OGTT + CS were significantly lower than the responses of cortisol (524 +/- 193 nmol/L; P less than 0.003) and epinephrine 1834 +/- 1135 pmol/L (P less than 0.0005) during OGTT. A slowly absorbed starch such as cornstarch may be an effective component in dietary management of this disorder.
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