What is a low glycemic index diet?

glycemicindex (GI) is a kind of index to evaluate the effect of food on blood sugar, so it has an important reference significance for diabetic patients. In addition, in recent years, with the increasing attention to weight control, more and more healthy people have begun to pay attention to the glycemic index of food.
But there’s a growing trend called the low-glycemic index diet that’s based on this concept. Last week, we talked about this new diet. Can low-glycemic diets really help us control blood sugar and weight? Are there any shortcomings?
Potential benefits of a low-glycemic index diet
Diabetes is a complex disease that affects hundreds of millions of people worldwide. People with diabetes cannot metabolize sugar efficiently, so it is difficult to maintain healthy blood sugar levels. However, better control of blood sugar can help prevent and delay the onset of complications, including heart disease, stroke, nerve damage and kidney damage. Many studies have found that a low-glycemic index diet can effectively reduce blood sugar levels in people with diabetes. In other words, a low-glycemic index diet was associated with lower blood sugar levels in the long term.
In addition, a large number of studies have reported that a high-glycemic diet may increase the risk of type 2 diabetes by 8% to 40%. The study also showed that for every five-unit increase in the glycemic index, the risk of developing type 2 diabetes increased by 8%.
In addition, a low-glycemic index diet may also improve gestational diabetes (GDM) in women, and even reduce the risk of giant babies.
In addition to helping with blood sugar control, research suggests that a low-glycemic diet may have other health benefits:
Improve cholesterol levels: Studies have shown that a low-glycemic index diet can reduce total cholesterol by 9.6% and LDL cholesterol by 8.6%. LDL cholesterol has been linked to an increased risk of heart disease and stroke.
Help with weight loss: Studies have found that a low-glycemic index diet can help healthy adults lose 0.7 to 1.9Kg in 5 to 10 weeks, but the long-term impact on weight loss is limited.
Reduced cancer risk: People on a high glycemic index diet may have an increased risk of certain cancers, including endometrial, colorectal and breast cancers, compared with those on a low glycemic index diet.
Reduced risk of heart disease: The study found that people on a high glycemic index diet had a 25 percent higher risk of heart disease than those on a low glycemic index diet, but further research is needed to confirm the link.
Inadequate low glycemic index diet
Despite the many benefits of a low glycemic index diet, it inevitably has some drawbacks due to its single index.
First, the glycemic index does not reflect the full nutritional content of a food. In addition to the glycemic index, it is equally important to consider the fat, protein, sugar and fiber content of a food. French fries, for example, have a glycemic index of 75, while baked potatoes, which are healthier than French fries, have a glycemic index of 85.
In fact, there are many unhealthy foods with a low glycemic index, such as ice cream (36 to 62), chocolate (49) and custard (29 to 43), that are difficult to capture by this single indicator.
Second, the glycemic index measures the impact of individual foods on blood sugar levels. However, most foods are served as part of a large meal, in which case it is difficult to predict the glycemic index.
Finally, the glycemic index does not take into account the amount of food consumed. However, intake is an important factor in determining the effect of food on blood sugar levels.
For example, watermelon has a high glycemic index of 80, which is theoretically a food best avoided on a low-glycemic diet. However, under normal circumstances, normal people are not stupid enough to consume 1 or 2 watermelon at a time, so the effect of normal watermelon on blood sugar is not large. Because of this, considering glycemic index alone may not be the best option for controlling blood sugar levels, and we also need to consider food intake when planning our meals. There is no one-size-fits-all diet
Low glycemic index diets have many potential health benefits, including lowering blood sugar levels, helping with weight loss and reducing the risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes, and may be a good option for people with diabetes. However, as mentioned earlier, it also has drawbacks, such as not taking into account other nutrients and not taking into account intake.
There is no one-size-fits-all diet. Therefore, when adopting a certain dietary pattern, we also need to further optimize it according to our own situation, whether it is weight loss or blood sugar control, when referring to the glycemic index of food, but also further consider the intake and the balance of other nutritional elements, only in this way, we can truly achieve a healthy and balanced diet.