Glucerna
Encyclopedia
Glucerna is the brand name of a family of snack bar
s and beverages manufacured by Abbott Laboratories
. These food products are meant for people with diabetes and are promoted for their ability to satisfy hunger with minimum calories and without causing rapid increases in glucose
concentration in the bloodstream.
. Glucerna products also contain vitamin
supplements, chromium picolinate, and phytosterol
s. There is evidence that phytosterols are of value in lowering cholesterol,, but the value of chromium supplements has been questioned.
The glycemic index of Glucerna shakes is approximately 31 relative to a value of 100 for pure glucose, while the snack bar has been found to produce less than a third of the glycemic response of a conventional snack bar.. A scientific review concluded that diabetic snack bars, such as Glucerna snack bars, can be useful for weight control and for blunting hyperglycemia but are not suitable for treating hypoglycemia.
Like most premade foods, Glucerna products can be expensive compared with alternative healthy foods prepared at home.
Snack bar
thumb|A snack bar in AmsterdamA snack bar usually refers to an inexpensive food counter that is part of a permanent structure where snack foods and light meals are sold. A beach snack bar is often a small building situated high on the sand. Besides soft drinks, candies and chewing gum, some snack...
s and beverages manufacured by Abbott Laboratories
Abbott Laboratories
Abbott Laboratories is an American-based global, diversified pharmaceuticals and health care products company. It has 90,000 employees and operates in over 130 countries. The company headquarters are in Abbott Park, North Chicago, Illinois. The company was founded by Chicago physician, Dr....
. These food products are meant for people with diabetes and are promoted for their ability to satisfy hunger with minimum calories and without causing rapid increases in glucose
Glucose
Glucose is a simple sugar and an important carbohydrate in biology. Cells use it as the primary source of energy and a metabolic intermediate...
concentration in the bloodstream.
Composition and properties
According to Abbott Laboratories, Glucerna products are made with CarbSteady, a proprietary carbohydrate source containing sucromalt that is characterized by a low glycemic indexGlycemic index
The glycemic index, glycaemic index, or GI is a measure of the effects of carbohydrates on blood sugar levels. Carbohydrates that break down quickly during digestion and release glucose rapidly into the bloodstream have a high GI; carbohydrates that break down more slowly, releasing glucose more...
. Glucerna products also contain vitamin
Vitamin
A vitamin is an organic compound required as a nutrient in tiny amounts by an organism. In other words, an organic chemical compound is called a vitamin when it cannot be synthesized in sufficient quantities by an organism, and must be obtained from the diet. Thus, the term is conditional both on...
supplements, chromium picolinate, and phytosterol
Phytosterol
Phytosterols, which encompass plant sterols and stanols, are steroid compounds similar to cholesterol which occur in plants and vary only in carbon side chains and/or presence or absence of a double bond. Stanols are saturated sterols, having no double bonds in the sterol ring structure. More than...
s. There is evidence that phytosterols are of value in lowering cholesterol,, but the value of chromium supplements has been questioned.
The glycemic index of Glucerna shakes is approximately 31 relative to a value of 100 for pure glucose, while the snack bar has been found to produce less than a third of the glycemic response of a conventional snack bar.. A scientific review concluded that diabetic snack bars, such as Glucerna snack bars, can be useful for weight control and for blunting hyperglycemia but are not suitable for treating hypoglycemia.
Like most premade foods, Glucerna products can be expensive compared with alternative healthy foods prepared at home.