For diabetic and hybrid dwarf hamsters (Glycemic Index and Load)

**Hamtastic** · 07-06-2011, 01:29 PM

I've been pointed to this compliation page recently. It was very interesting to read through! Basically for a diabetic hamster or a hamster under a year old (has chances of developing diabetes), foods with low Glycemic Load are good. This page explains what Glycemic Index (GI) and Glycemic Load (GL) are:

Revised International Table of Glycemic Index (GI) and Glycemic Load (GL) Values—2008
By David Mendosa
Glycemic Index and Glycemic Load

Finally, I was able to find useful information about corn. I'm still not sure if the corn contained in hamster mixes is sweet corn though--is it? If so, it's on the high GL side, and thus unsuitable.

Very surprised about millet! (high GL)

racinghamster · 07-07-2011, 07:40 AM

Corn (whole) and maize are the same thing only maize of flaked. I take it out of my Chinese hamsters food because she gets organic jumbo oats, Buckwheat and wholegrain puffed rice instead, but the rice is a hand fed treat only since rice is a carbohydrate, so rather than give her sunflower seeds or fatty peanuts as a treat, I prefer to use the puffed organic rice.

I noticed soya beans are low on the list, but I don`t use beans. She has soya flakes already in her hamster mix so that`s good.

Millet is said to be one of the best oily seeds in terms of low allergy, but I don`t know a great deal about types of millet or whether millet is something that should be fed in small amounts or high amounts? Given that the link is based on humans consumption, it`s difficult to relate that to what a tiny hamster might eat on a daily basis.

**Hamtastic** · 07-07-2011, 08:38 AM

Glyciemic Load is used for diabetic hamsters as well.

Concerning corn, I was just saying that on the food packages I've looked at, it never says 'sweet corn', just 'corn' or 'whole corn'.

racinghamster · 07-07-2011, 09:03 AM

Corn on the cob as it`s grown in it`s natural state is naturally sweet. When the corn is broken up, it resembles nibblets or is `flaked`. This is when it is turned into corn flakes for us and for pet foods. Only corn flakes are fortified with other things like vitamins, minerals and iron, magnesium that sort of thing. Corn flakes go through a manufacturing process which basically mucks around with them. The corn in pet foods is not for human consumption, even though it`s okay to eat, I would`nt feed it to dwarf hamsters when there are other, safer grains I can add as an alternative and better quality.

Erin Loves Dwarf Hamsters · 07-07-2011, 09:04 AM

Ooo wow well done for finding this Hamtastic! Its very interesting and useful!

racinghamster · 07-07-2011, 09:16 AM

Wikipedia has a page on corn: Sweet corn - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Sweetcorn is a complex carbohydrate that contains sugar, which is then turned into starch. Many other wholegrains and foods are also complex carbs, but because sweetcorn is produced for it`s sweetness, I feel it`s best avoided in dwarf hamster food. Not so much because it`s a complex carbohydrate as these are not bad foods, but because corn has the natural ability to contain sugar.

The jury is out on this one really as some members will still feel it`s fine to feed, while others won`t. i`m in the `won`t` camp!

Dwarf hamsters are best fed on proteins and fibre and not so much on carbohydrates.

racinghamster · 07-07-2011, 10:13 AM

I also wanted to say that because other complex carbs are included on lists that include many of the grains that we feed hamsters, it`s not quite clear what`s safe to feed and what is`nt. If you include corn as a complex carb, then I would imagine many of the others should be included as the same? Buckwheat and oats are just two on a list I looked at, so this makes me wonder why corn would be any different apart from the fact that it`s modified to contain natural sugars?

Talk about confusing...

ashari · 07-08-2011, 10:03 AM

i was looking into GI index of foods too and i think it could be helpful to a certain extent.the only query is that the GI is worked out by how a human metabolises that particular food.a hamster has a different metabolic rate to a human so im not sure how the human GI index could transfer over to hamsters.im thinking because hamsters are small animals they have a very fast metabolism and burn energy quicker??

racinghamster · 07-08-2011, 10:18 AM

That`s a very good point ashari. It`s nice to know what foods are good and bad, but unless it`s based on research in hamsters, I doubt it would be much help in respect of metabolism and duration of lifespan. No doubt there will be research out there that has been done in diabetic hamsters as we talked about in a previous thread with Vectis, but much of it can be a bit too clinical for us pet owners to take in.

My belief is that if a hamster is going to be genetically prone to this condition, nothing will prevent it`s onset and dwarf hamsters in general should always have a diet that consists mainly of the best food we can give them without knowingly exposing them to sugars, syrups, fructose etc.... whether they have the condition diagnosed or not.

The complex carbs can be found in many of the grains we already feed, so we can`t truly get away from those in respect of hamster foods, but we can make a difference by choosing what we do feed and picking out anything we feel may contribute to glucose production in excess.

ashari · 07-08-2011, 11:51 AM

i wish i was more clever because the information can be very confusing and hard to grasp at times lol.even though the GI index is for humans i still think it could be helpful and give a general guide of certain foods.

can i point you guys to a thread i made a while ago.i mentioned the GI index, diet and things here and there were some interesting posts.
info on treating diabetes in hamsters - Hamster Hideout Forum