Normally, eating a low-carbohydrate diet is considered one of the best ways to reduce diabetes symptoms.
New research from the Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School are challenging these claims, however.
According to the study, now published in the December issues of JAMA, overweight or obese adults who ate a diet low in glycemic foods and carbohydrates did not improve symptoms associated with diabetes–including insulin sensitivity, blood pressure, and lipid levels.
Worse yet, it didn’t decrease their risk of cardiovascular disease either.
“Many of the results were contrary to what had been expected,” says Robert H. Eckle, M.D., who wrote an accompanying editorial in the latest issue of JAMA. “The unexpected findings of the study by Sacks et al suggest that the concept of glycemic index is less important than previously thought, especially in the context of an overall healthy diet, as tested in this study. These findings should therefore direct attention back to the importance of maintaining an overall heart-healthy lifestyle, including diet pattern.”
The Study
For years experts have emphasized eating a low carbohydrate diet filled with low-glycemic foods to reduce diabetes symptoms, foods which supposedly reduce spikes in insulin.
This study is challenging this theory, however.
In the study, 163 overweight and obese adults with hypertension were given 4 different diets: A high-glycemic high-carbohydrate diet, a low-glycemic high-carbohydrate diet, a high-glycemic low-carbohydrate diet, or a low-glycemic low-carbohydrate diet. All four diets emphasized eating a variety of fruits, vegetables, and low-fat dairy products, based off the DASH healthy eating system.
Normally, researchers assumed a low-glycemic diet, regardless of the food consumed, would result in reduced cardiovascular and diabetes factors. As it turned out, however, that wasn’t the case. In actuality, eating a low-glycemic low-carbohydrate diet didn’t affect any of these factors–a high-glycemic diet was more effective instead.
“In this 5-week controlled feeding study, diets with low glycemic index of dietary carbohydrate, compared with high glycemic index of dietary carbohydrate, did not result in improvements in insulin sensitivity, lipid levels, or systolic blood pressure,” say researchers. “In the context of an overall DASH-type diet, using glycemic index to select specific foods may not improve cardiovascular risk factors or insulin resistance.”
Their conclusion? It’s better to focus on eating a healthy diet instead of worrying if your diet contains high-glycemic or low-glycemic foods.
What You Should Do
Want to reduce your risk of diabetes or heart disease? To lower your risk, you’re better off focusing on the quality of your diet instead–something you can easily do by upping your intake of fruits, vegetables, and low-fat dairy products.
Readers: Do you think the glycemic index works? Why or why not?
Sources:
Effects of High vs Low Glycemic Index of Dietary Carbohydrate on Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors – JAMANetwork.com
Role of Glycemic Index in the Context of an Overall Heart-Healthy Diet – JAMANetwork.com
Low-Glycemic Index Carbohydrate Diet Does Not Improve CV Risk Factors, Insulin Resistance – ScienceDaily.com
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