The study published in the Dec. 17 issue of Journal of the American Medical establishes the fact that type 2 diabetics on a diet rich in low-glycemic foods including beans, lentils and nuts exhibited greater improvement in glycemic control and cardio-vascular
define risk factors than those on high-cereal fiber diet.
Glycemic index has become the latest buzzword for diet-conscious people the world over. Glycemic index, or GI, as it is commonly referred to, measures how rapidly food is broken down and absorbed by the body.
The study led by Dr. David J. A. Jenkins, M.D., of St. Michael’s Hospital and the University of Toronto, involved 210 patients with type 2 diabetesdefine who were treated with antihyperglycemic medications. It assessed the effects of a diet high in low-glycemic foods in comparison with a high-cereal fiber diet on glycemic control and risk factors for coronary heart disease. The patients were randomly assigned to receive either of the two diet treatments for a period of 6 months.
Patients on a low-glycemic index diet were advised to include beans, pasta, peas, nuts, rice boiled briefly, low-glycemic index breads (including pumpernickel, rye pita and quinoa and flaxseed) and breakfast cereals including oat bran and flake oatmeal in their diet. On the other hand, those receiving high-cereal fiber diet were asked to include “brown” option in whole grain breads, whole grain breakfast cereals, whole wheat bread, crackers, brown rice, potatoes with skins and breakfast cereals. Additionally, both treatments encouraged patients to include three servings of fruit and five servings of vegetables in their diet.
The results of the study revealed that the blood sugar levels decreased by 0.50 percent in low-glycemic diet group and 0.18 percent in the high-fiber diet group respectively.
Dr. David, lead author of the report and a professor of nutritional sciences at the University of Toronto, and his co-researchers said that the patients belonging to the low-GI diet group showed improvements in cholesterol with an increase in levels of HDL ( good cholesterol), which is instrumental in reducing the risk of heart disease.
Dr. David stated: “That’s an important issue today, because there’s a double whammy for people who are diabetic.” He further reiterated, “If they’re men, they have twice the risk of heart disease, and if they’re women, they have four times the risk. If you can hit the heart disease to which they’re particularly vulnerable, you may have something useful.”
“Low-glycemic index diets may be useful as part of the strategy to improve glycemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes taking (glucose-lowering) medications,” the researchers concluded.
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