Glycemic Index of Date Cultivars and Date-based Products

NCT07286981 | Completed DMC

• 1 other identifier: 24/1428
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 40
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

Dates are widely consumed worldwide and hold substantial cultural importance in many Middle Eastern communities. Despite growing interest in measuring the glycemic response and glycemic index of foods for both research and practical applications, studies examining the glycemic properties of different date cultivars and their derived products remain limited. This study aims to determine the glycemic index (GI) and glycemic load (GL) of commonly consumed Saudi date cultivars and their derived products in healthy subjects, and to evaluate their potential impact on postprandial glucose responses. The study will consist of 4 phases as follows: phase 1: Date varieties at Tamer stage; phase 2: date varieties at Rutab stage; phase 3: Date's debs; phase 4: Date's paste. For each phase, ten subjects will be asked to attend the laboratory in the morning after an overnight fast on several occasions. Each visit will be separated from the next by a "washout" day. The reference food, 50 g of glucose dissolve in 250 ml water will be tested on 3 alternating days to diminish day to day variation of glucose tolerance. 50g equivalent carbohydrates of dates will be consumed with 250 ml of water. Participants will be blinded to the type of the dates. Glucose will be measured in capillary blood samples following the two hours of the test meal consumption, at 15 min interval (0, 15, 30, 45, 60, 90 and 120 min) . A qualified technician will perform all blood glucose measurements.

Conditions

Glycaemic Response Measurements

Keywords

glycemic index; Glycemic load; Dates; Tamer; Rutab; Date paste; Date molasses

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Glycemic Index

  The glycemic index of each date cultivar and date-based product will be determined on designated test days by calculating the incremental area under the blood glucose response curve (iAUC) over the 120-minute postprandial period following consumption of a portion containing 50 g of available carbohydrates, relative to the iAUC of a reference glucose solution. Blood glucose measurements will be obtained at baseline (fasting) and at predefined time points up to 120 minutes after ingestion.

  Baseline (fasting) and up to 120 minutes post-consumption on each test day.

Secondary Outcomes (1)

• Glycemic Load (GL) of Fresh and Processed Date Products

  Baseline (fasting) and up to 120 minutes post-consumption on each test day.

Study Arms (1)

Single Group - Crossover Consumption of Date Products and Glucose Reference

EXPERIMENTAL

All participants will receive the glucose reference solution on three separate occasions and will consume the date or date-based product in individual sessions. Participants serve as their own control in a crossover design. Capillary blood glucose will be measured at several time points (0-120 minutes) after consumption to assess the glycemic index and load for each product.

Other: Date Cultivars and Date-based Products

Interventions

Date Cultivars and Date-based Products OTHER

Participants will consume 50 g of available carbohydrates from each date or date-based product, including 13 Tamer varieties, 12 Rutab varieties, 3 types of date paste, and 3 types of date molasses. Each product will be tested in a separate session.. The intervention will also include consumption of a glucose reference solution (50 g glucose) on three separate occasions.

Also known as: Tamer, Rutab, Date paste, Date molasses

Single Group - Crossover Consumption of Date Products and Glucose Reference

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years - 55 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64)

You may qualify if:

• Healthy adults aged 18 to 55 years
• Normotensive (normal blood pressure)
• Normal fasting glucose levels
• Not taking any prescription medication
• Able and willing to provide written informed consent

You may not qualify if:

• Morbid obesity (BMI \> 40 kg/m²)
• Pre-diabetic status
• Pregnancy
• Any gastrointestinal disorders
• History of gastroenteritis within the preceding six months
• Previous gastrointestinal surgeries
• Smoking
• Presence of chronic conditions (e.g., asthma, rheumatoid arthritis)
• Presence of acute illnesses (e.g., respiratory or urinary tract infections)

Sponsors & Collaborators

• King Saud University: lead

Study Sites (1)

King Saud University

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Location

Related Publications (1)

• Brouns F, Bjorck I, Frayn KN, Gibbs AL, Lang V, Slama G, Wolever TM. Glycaemic index methodology. Nutr Res Rev. 2005 Jun;18(1):145-71. doi: 10.1079/NRR2005100.

  PMID: 19079901 BACKGROUND

Study Officials

• Maha Alhussain, PhD

  King Saud University

  STUDY DIRECTOR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: NA
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: BASIC SCIENCE
• Intervention Model: SINGLE GROUP
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Associate Professor

Model Details: This is a randomized crossover interventional study, where each participant serves as his or her own control. All volunteers consume the reference glucose solution on three occasions and then consume each date product in separate sessions. After each test food, blood glucose is measured repeatedly over 120 minutes to determine the postprandial responses and subsequently calculate the glycemic index and glycemic load.

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: December 3, 2025
• First Posted: December 16, 2025
• Study Start: August 16, 2024
• Primary Completion: May 25, 2025
• Study Completion: May 25, 2025
• Last Updated: December 31, 2025

Record last verified: 2025-05

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

SA (1)