Sugar-free apricot jam and blood sugar in healthy adults
What it found
In 12 healthy adults, sugar-free apricot jam eaten with white bread did not raise blood sugar more than white bread alone.
The jam with bread was classed as a medium glycaemic index food.
What they found
Studies in people
Jam with bread
Sugar-free apricot jam with white bread was classed as medium glycaemic index and low glycaemic load. Adding the jam to white bread did not increase blood sugar responses compared with white bread alone.
Cocoa with milk
Cocoa powder with fat-free milk was classed as medium glycaemic index and low glycaemic load. It produced lower blood sugar over 2 hours compared with the glucose drink.
Cereal bar
The dried cranberry cereal bar was classed as high glycaemic index and low glycaemic load. Blood sugar was higher at 60, 90 and 120 minutes after the bar compared with the glucose drink.
Hunger and fullness
Hunger was lower after the jam with bread and after the cereal bar compared with the glucose drink. Fullness was higher after the cocoa with milk and after the jam with bread.
Pleasure from food
Pleasure from food was higher after the cocoa with milk, the jam with bread and the cereal bar compared with the glucose drink.
What the authors conclude
“In conclusion, sugar-free apricot jam with and without WB and cocoa powder with fat-free milk are suitable healthy breakfast options leading to improved glycaemic and subjective appetite responses.”
Also in their conclusions
- They say the sugar-free apricot jam and cocoa powder contained minimal amounts of available carbohydrates, making them suitable for people at high health risk such as those with obesity or glucose intolerance.
- They say the sugar-free apricot jam with white bread and cocoa powder with fat-free milk are suitable healthy breakfast options that led to improved glycaemic and appetite responses.
- They say all three sugar-free products were low glycaemic load foods, making them appropriate choices for long-term blood sugar control.
How it was done
High sugar intake has been linked to health problems, and some breakfasts are tied to overweight and obesity. The authors wanted to see how sugar-free breakfast items affect blood sugar and appetite.
Twelve healthy adults, six men and six women, with an average age of 25 years and an average BMI of 22, took part. Each person ate four test meals and a glucose drink in random order on six separate days, with blood sugar measured for 2 hours after eating.
What it can’t tell you
- This was a short-term study. It cannot show whether these breakfast items affect blood sugar control over months or years.
- The study had only 12 people, which the authors say reduces precision and may exaggerate the links found.
- The study did not measure insulin or gut hormones, so it cannot show how those respond to these foods.
Who paid
- Authors work at
- Agricultural University of Athens, Greece; Institute of Technology of Agricultural Products, Greece
The paper
- Title
- Short-term effects of sugar-free apricot jam, cocoa powder and dried cranberry cereal bar on glycaemic responses in healthy adults: a randomised clinical trial
- Type
- Randomised controlled trial
- Evidence
- Studies in people
- Summarised from
- Full text
- Licence
- CC BY. Words in quotation marks are the authors’; the rest is our summary.
- Cite
- Papakonstantinou E, Magriplis E, Katsaros G, et al (2022). Short-term effects of sugar-free apricot jam, cocoa powder and dried cranberry cereal bar on glycaemic responses in healthy adults: a randomised clinical trial. Journal of nutritional science. doi:10.1017/jns.2022.74Free full textPubMed 36304830DOI
Summary written 30 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error