Type 2 diabetes works below the surface and only releases its destruction when the blood sugar levels are consistently too high. When this happens, the body begins to malfunction. Fortunately, a low-GI diet can help prevent this. How can a low GI diet lower your blood sugar?
In a study published in the U.S. 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The study searched PubMed, the Cochrane Library, EMBASE, and clinical trial registers for published and unpublished studies through March 1, 2019 regarding GI diets and their ability to influence blood sugar levels.
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 reduction in fasting glucose and HbA1c was inversely correlated with body weight.
The greatest reduction in fasting blood glucose was seen in the studies of the longest duration.
“Low GI diets may be useful for controlling glycemic control and may reduce body weight in people with prediabetes or diabetes,” the study concluded.
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In another study with the U.S. National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health, the glycemic index in the diets of European outpatients with diabetes was analyzed. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11237934/
The study said: “The ratio of GI to serum cholesterol (total, LDL and HDL) and fasting triacylglycerol was analyzed in 2810 people with type 1 diabetes.”
The conclusion was that the study among European patients with type 1 diabetes showed that a lower GI in the diet was associated with lower Hb A (1c) concentrations, independent of fiber intake.
The consumption of bread and pasta had the greatest effect on the overall GI tract in the diet of European outpatients.
What is a low-glycemic diet?
A diet with a low glycemic index (GI) is considered one of the best diets to follow as it measures how carbohydrate-containing foods increase blood sugar.
The diet measures the amount of food according to their effect of the blood sugar levels.
The rate at which different foods increase blood sugar levels is 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 created in the early 1980s by a Canadian professor, Dr. David Jenkins.
The low-GI diet looks at how fat and fiber tend to lower the GI of a food, and the more cooked or processed the food is, the higher the GI.
Carbohydrates are the primary food that raises blood sugar.
Glycemic index and glycemic load are scientific terms used to measure the impact of carbohydrates on blood sugar.
Foods with a low glycemic load increase blood sugar modestly and are therefore better choices for people with type 2 diabetes. the most important factors that determine the glycemic load of a food 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 grains, quinoa, oatmeal, fruits, vegetables, beans and lentils.
Foods to avoid contain simple carbohydrates that are processed, such as sugar, pasta, white bread, flour, cookies and pastries.