Type 2 diabetes works below the surface, unleashing its destruction only when blood sugar levels are consistently too high – when this happens, the body begins to malfunction. Fortunately, following a low GI diet can help prevent this. How can a low GI diet lower your blood sugars?
In a study published in the US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health, diets with a low glycemic index for type 2 diabetes were analyzed.
The study searched PubMed, the Cochrane Library, EMBASE, and clinical trial registries for published and unpublished studies up to March 1, 2019 regarding GI diets and its ability to determine blood sugar.
The results showed that low GI diets were effective in reducing glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), fasting glucose, BMI, total cholesterol, and LDL, but had no effect on fasting insulin, triglycerides or insulin requirements.
The decrease in fasting glucose and HbA1c was inversely related to body weight.
The greatest decrease in fasting blood glucose was seen in the longest duration studies.
“Low-GI diets may be helpful for glycemic control and may reduce body weight in people with prediabetes or diabetes,” the study concluded.
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Another study with the US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health analyzed the glycemic index in the diet of European outpatients with diabetes. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11237934/
The study said, “The relationship of GI to serum cholesterol (total, LDL and HDL) and fasting triacylglycerol was analyzed in 2,810 people with type 1 diabetes.”
It concluded that the study in European patients with type 1 diabetes showed that a lower dietary GI is associated with lower Hb A (1c) concentrations, independent of fiber intake.
Bread and pasta consumption had the greatest effect on the overall GI of the European outpatients.
What is a Low Glycemic Diet?
A low glycemic index (GI) diet has been rated as one of the best diets to follow because it measures how carbohydrate-containing foods raise blood sugar.
The diet measures food grades based on their effect on blood sugar.
The rates at which different foods increase blood sugar are ranked in comparison to the intake of 50 grams of pure glucose, which is used as a reference food and has a GI value of 100.
The diet was developed in the early 1980s by a Canadian professor, Dr. David Jenkins.
The low GI diet looks at how fat and fiber lower the GI of a food, and in general, the more cooked or processed the food, the higher the GI.
Carbohydrates are the main food that increases blood sugar.
Glycemic index and glycemic load are scientific terms used to measure the impact of a carbohydrate on blood sugar.
Foods with a low glycemic load slightly raise blood sugar levels and are thus better choices for people with type 2 diabetes. The main factors that determine a food’s glycemic load are the amount of fiber, fat and protein it contains.
Foods to eat for a type 2 diabetic meal plan include complex carbohydrates such as brown rice, whole grain wheat, quinoa, oatmeal, fruits, vegetables, beans, and lentils.
Foods to avoid include simple carbohydrates that are processed, such as sugar, pasta, white bread, flour, biscuits and cakes.