Study Finds Low Glycemic Index Foods Improve Type 2 Diabetes

A recent study published in the latest Journal of the American Medical Association has found that people with Type 2 diabetes kept their blood glucose levels under better control when they ate foods like beans, fruits, vegetables, beans, nuts, flax seed and quinoa — a low-glycemic diet — than blood glucose levels in patients with diabetes eating a high-fiber diet.

The new study, which lasted six months, is one of the largest and longest to assess the impact of foods with a low-glycemic index.

Participants on the low-glycemic diet also saw significant improvements in cholesterol after six months, with increases in HDL, the so-called “good” cholesterol associated with a reduced risk of heart disease.

Participants on the low-glycemic diet saw their hemoglobin A1C levels — a measure of blood glucose levels over recent months — reduced slightly, by 0.5 percent on average, but experienced significant improvements in HDL, which increased by 1.7 milligrams per deciliter of blood on average. Those on the high-cereal diet saw smaller reductions in hemoglobin A1C and slight drops in HDL.

Dietitians who work with people who have Type 2 diabetes said earlier studies had not demonstrated the benefits of low-glycemic index foods as clearly as this report.

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