Glucerna is the brand name of a family of

tube feeding Tube or tubes may refer to: * Tube (2003 film), ''Tube'' (2003 film), a 2003 Korean film * The Tube (TV series), ''The Tube'' (TV series), a music related TV series by Channel 4 in the United Kingdom * "Tubes" (Peter Dale), performer on the Socce ...

formula, bottled or canned shakes, and

snack bar A snack bar usually refers to an inexpensive food counter that is part of a permanent structure where snack foods and light meals are sold. Description A beach snack bar is often a small building situated high on the sand. Besides soft dri ...

s manufactured by Abbott Laboratories. It was introduced to the public in 1989. These medical nutritional products are meant for people with

diabetes Diabetes, also known as diabetes mellitus, is a group of metabolic disorders characterized by a high blood sugar level ( hyperglycemia) over a prolonged period of time. Symptoms often include frequent urination, increased thirst and increased ap ...

and are promoted for their ability to satisfy hunger without causing rapid increases in

glucose Glucose is a simple sugar with the molecular formula . Glucose is overall the most abundant monosaccharide, a subcategory of carbohydrates. Glucose is mainly made by plants and most algae during photosynthesis from water and carbon dioxide, u ...

concentration in the

bloodstream The blood circulatory system is a system of organs that includes the heart, blood vessels, and blood which is circulated throughout the entire body of a human or other vertebrate. It includes the cardiovascular system, or vascular system, tha ...

Products

Tube feeding Tube or tubes may refer to: * Tube (2003 film), ''Tube'' (2003 film), a 2003 Korean film * The Tube (TV series), ''The Tube'' (TV series), a music related TV series by Channel 4 in the United Kingdom * "Tubes" (Peter Dale), performer on the Socce ...

products include Glucerna 1.0Cal, Glucerna 1.2Cal, and Glucerna 1.5Cal. Bottled or canned products include Glucerna Shake, Glucerna Advance Shake, Glucerna HungerSmart Shake, Glucerna Snack Shake, and Glucerna Therapeutic Nutrition Shake. Snack bar products include Glucerna Mini Snack Bars and Glucerna Crispy Delights Nutrition Bars.

Composition and properties

Glucerna products are formulated with

fat In nutrition science, nutrition, biology, and chemistry, fat usually means any ester of fatty acids, or a mixture of such chemical compound, compounds, most commonly those that occur in living beings or in food. The term often refers spec ...

protein Proteins are large biomolecules and macromolecules that comprise one or more long chains of amino acid residues. Proteins perform a vast array of functions within organisms, including catalysing metabolic reactions, DNA replication, respo ...

vitamin A vitamin is an organic molecule (or a set of molecules closely related chemically, i.e. vitamers) that is an essential micronutrient that an organism needs in small quantities for the proper functioning of its metabolism. Essential nutrie ...

mineral In geology and mineralogy, a mineral or mineral species is, broadly speaking, a solid chemical compound with a fairly well-defined chemical composition and a specific crystal structure that occurs naturally in pure form.John P. Rafferty, ed. ( ...

s, and

carbohydrate In organic chemistry, a carbohydrate () is a biomolecule consisting of carbon (C), hydrogen (H) and oxygen (O) atoms, usually with a hydrogen–oxygen atom ratio of 2:1 (as in water) and thus with the empirical formula (where ''m'' may or ma ...

s including CarbSteady, proprietary carbohydrate blend containing sucromalt that is characterized by a reduced

glycemic index The glycemic (glycaemic) index (GI; ) is a number from 0 to 100 assigned to a food, with pure glucose arbitrarily given the value of 100, which represents the relative rise in the blood glucose level two hours after consuming that food. The GI of ...

of approximately 53. Some Glucerna products contain

chromium picolinate Chromium(III) picolinate is a chemical compound with the formula Cr(C5H4N(CO2H))3, commonly abbreviated as CrPic3. It is sold as a nutritional supplement to treat type 2 diabetes and promote weight loss. This bright-red coordination compound is de ...

, and

phytosterol Phytosterols are phytosteroids, similar to cholesterol, that serve as structural components of biological membranes of plants. They encompass plant sterols and stanols. More than 250 sterols and related compounds have been identified. Free phy ...

s. There is evidence that phytosterols may help lower cholesterol, but the efficacy of chromium supplementation has not been fully agreed among experts. 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 hyperglycemia. Like most premade foods, Glucerna products can be expensive compared with alternative healthy foods prepared at home.

References

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External links

Glucerna USAGlucerna CanadaGlucerna AustraliaGlucerna SingaporeGlucerna PhilippinesGlucerna Vietnam
Diabetes