Diabetes control better with low-glycemic diet

[Islander]

Tue Dec 16, 2008

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - For people who have type 2 diabetes, a low-glycemic index diet is significantly better than a high-fiber diet for keeping blood glucose levels down, researchers report
Glycemic index, or GI, refers to how rapidly a food causes blood sugar to rise. High-GI foods, like white bread and potatoes, tend to spur a quick surge in blood sugar, while low-GI foods, such as lentils, soybeans, yogurt and many high-fiber grains, produce a more gradual increase in blood sugar.
The current study in this week's Journal of the American Medical Association involved 210 individuals with type 2 diabetes treated with anti-diabetes medications who were randomly allocated to go on to either a low-GI diet or a high-fiber diet for 6 months. The main outcome measured was the change in A1C in the blood, which reflects glucose levels over the long term.
A1C fell 0.50 percent on the low-GI diet compared with only 0.18 percent on the high-fiber diet, Dr. David J. A. Jenkins, from the University of Toronto, and co-researchers report.
Furthermore, levels of HDL ("good") cholesterol levels rose with the low-GI diet but they fell with the high-fiber diet.
"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 conclude.
SOURCE: Journal of the American Medical Association, December 17, 2008.

[mellowsong]

Well, I just came to post this same study, but, I'm going to add this chart:
Treatment difference in the intention-to-treat analysis

Measurement
High-cereal-fiber diet, baseline (n=104)
Low-glycemic-index diet, baseline (n=106)
High-cereal-fiber diet, 6 mo (n=104)
Low-glycemic-index diet, 6 mo (n=106)
p
Body weight (kg)
87.8
87.0
86.2
84.5
0.053
HbA1c (%)
7.07
7.14
6.89
6.64
<0.001
Fasting glucose (mg/dL)
141.2
138.8
136.8
127.7
0.02
LDL cholesterol (mg/dL)
101.1
96.9
101.3
95.3
0.14
HDL cholesterol (mg/dL)
43.1
41.9
42.8
43.6
0.005
Triglycerides (mg/dL)
122.0
128.1
122.2
124.6
>0.99


To download table as a slide, click on slide logo above

Jenkins pointed out that a diet based on a low glycemic index differs from a low-glycemic diet. The Atkins diet, an example of a low-glycemic diet, involves the restriction of carbohydrates. A low-glycemic-index diet, on the other hand, does not restrict the consumption of carbohydrates but rather restricts foods that overwhelm the insulin secretion mechanisms and cause spikes in blood glucose levels.
The reduction in HbA1c was modest, said Jenkins, but the diet "is another tool in the toolkit for clinicians" and should help those not wishing to prescribe too many antihyperglycemic medications or who do not wish to significantly increase the dose of existing drugs. Investigators did not observe any appreciable hypoglycemic occurrences, something that is difficult to avoid with medications, said Jenkins.

[Samurai]

I have read that the glycemic load is much more important. For example I recall that a Coca-Cola is in the upper 50's lower 60's in GI, and a Medjool date is in excess of 100.
I feel a bit "off" if I have white bread, but white potatoes are a good source of energy for me.

[Islander]

Oy. I don't understand the chart at all. Couldn't see a logo to click on either. Help? Explain?

[mellowsong]

I'm sorry, the chart looked right when I clicked submit and didn't notice it got scrambled. I can't fix it, so here's a link. I forgot to add that earlier.
http://www.theheart.org/article/929491.do

[Islander]

Mellowsong, thx for posting the link. Did anyone read the comments? Double WOW! Look at the exchange between Cobble and Miller. Interesting: my diet is virtually the same as Miller's. I don't take 30 supplements so I can't compare, but I do take the ones he mentions, and I get my resveratrol in the red wine I drink with dinner every night. Think I'll live to 100? I was figuring 86 was probably my limit....

[mellowsong]

Yes, I found the comments intriguing...I also thought about PPARGammaGirl when I read the comment about "it's not genes" lol. PS...I think you'll definitely live to 100

[PPARGammaGirl]

Cobble is one of those smug, self-satisfied plonkers who thinks having those magic 2 letters after his name automatically confers superiority. Poops like that have to use circular logic to protect their narrow world view.
Eat right + exercise right - drop dead at 40 = bad genes
Eat wrong + no exercise + do everything wrong - live to 100 = good genes. BUNKUM!
Genetics has become a 'get out of jail free card' for all those failing medical theories out there.

[PPARGammaGirl]

Oh I just had to sign up and say something didn't I?

[mellowsong]

ROFL....You showed such restraint...he's posted another comment though. WTG PPAR!

[PPARGammaGirl]

I saw the reply - tempting to get into a real debate - like "Oh but prescription drugs are regulated but that didn't stop Vioxx killing 65,000 people now did it?"
Experience has taught me there is NO getting through to Pharmabots.
It's a horrible reality but big vested interests have always sought to control our thinking. The internet is no different. Disinformation agents are very common and it is entirely pointless to argue with them because they are paid to do it.

[Islander]

Nice rebuttal though, PPar.

[PPARGammaGirl]

Thx Islander. You can try and engage in reasoned, polite debate with these shills but it's ultimately a waste of time. You are tarred as a "loony" for daring to suggest all pharma drugs are not miraculous.