Patients with diabetes may benefit from a diet with a low glycemic index or glycemic load.
A systematic review and meta-analysis found small improvements in established goals for glycemic control, blood lipids, fat, and inflammation in people with moderately controlled type 1 and type 2 disease who tried a low glycemic index/load diet. According to a recent study, patients with moderately controlled type 1 and type 2 diabetes may benefit from a diet with a low glycemic index (GI) or glycemic load (GL). The researchers conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials published as of May 13, 2021, to inform an EU update to the study. The trials were eligible if they were at least three weeks in duration and looked at the effects of a low GI or GL diet in patients with diabetes. The primary outcome was HbA1c, while secondary outcomes included other markers of glycemic control, such as fasting glucose and fasting insulin levels; blood lipid level; fat, as measured by body weight, body mass index (BMI), or waist circumference; blood pressure; and inflammation, as measured by the C-reactive protein level. The results of the study were published by The BMJ on August 5.
Twenty-nine trial comparisons involving 1,617 outpatients with type 1 and type 2 diabetes were included. The median follow-up was 12 weeks, and the median age was 56 years. Most patients were overweight or obese and had controlled type 2 diabetes treated with hyperglycemia drugs (69%), insulin (14%), or both (7%),
Whereas 10% of the patients were treated with diet alone. The low GI/GL diet pattern reduced HbA1c versus the control diet, with a higher GI/GL (mean difference, −0.31%; P<0.001). Body weight, BMI, and fasting glucose levels, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, non-high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, apolipoprotein B, triglycerides, and C-reactive protein levels also accompanied by low GI/GL were less. dietary pattern (P<0.05), but no difference was observed in blood insulin level, HDL cholesterol level, waist circumference or blood pressure. There was a positive dose–response gradient for differences in GL and HbA1c improvements, and for improvements in complete dietary GI and systolic blood pressure (P<0.05).
The researchers noted that the evidence indicates serious inconsistency for the effect of a low GI/GL diet on LDL cholesterol level and waist circumference, as well as the effect of disturbances in the pooled estimates in most results, with other limitations. The authors suggested that their findings were most relevant to adults with type 2 diabetes.
They rated the certainty of evidence as high for the effect of diet on HbA1c and HDL cholesterol, moderate for most other outcomes, and low for fasting insulin, LDL cholesterol, and waist circumference. “Our synthesis suggests that a low GI/GL dietary pattern is considered an acceptable and safe dietary strategy that results in small meaningful reductions in the primary goal of glycemic control in diabetes, HbA1c, fasting glucose, and other established cardiometabolic risk factors. Can do." wrote. They called for larger randomized trials to test whether improvements in these intermediate cardiometabolic risk factors translate to a reduction in clinical outcomes. Glycemic Index of Foods
GI values can be explained intuitively as a percentage on an absolute scale and are usually interpreted as:
Classification GI Detail Example
Low GI 55 or less Most fruits and vegetables (except potatoes and watermelon), whole grain breads, pasta, legumes/pulses, milk, yogurt, very low-carbohydrate foods (some cheese, almonds), fruit-sugars.
Medium GI 56-69 All Wheat Products, Basmati Rice, Tubers, Table Sugar
High GI 70 and above Corn Crust, Rice Krispies, Baked Potatoes, Watermelon, French Rolls, White Bread, Extruded Breakfast Cereals, Very White Rice (such as Jasmine), Straight Glucose (100)
A low GI food releases glucose relatively slowly and steadily. A high GI causes increased sugar levels in food and is suitable for endurance exercise post-exercise energy gains or for people with hypoglycemia.
The glycemic effect of foods depends on a number of factors, such as the type of starch (amylose versus amylopectin), the physical porosity of starch molecules inside the food, the fats and proteins in the food, and the organic acids or salts in the food – for example. for, including benigar, will lower the GI. Fat or soluble dietary fiber may decrease the rate of gastric emptying and thus lower the GI. In general, unrefined breads with higher amounts of fiber tend to have lower GI values than white breads. Many brown breads, however, are treated with enzymes to soften the crust, which make the starch more passable (higher GI).
While adding butter or oil will lower the GI of the food, it will not change the GI ranking. This means that a low GI bread can be compared with or without the addition.
