The findings of an international study suggest that consuming low glycaemic index and low glycaemic load diets might prevent the development of type 2 diabetes. They also found a strong association between glycaemic index (GI) and the risk of type 2 diabetes among individuals with a higher Body Mass Index (BMI).
In a paper published in The Lancet Diabetes and Endocrinology last week, the authors showed a clear link between high GI and diabetes. The authors say: “The association between the glycaemic index and the glycaemic load [GL] with type 2 diabetes incidence is controversial.” They found that diets with a high GI and a high GL were associated with a higher risk of type 2 diabetes in the study that spanned five continents.
GI ranks carbohydrate-containing foods based on the blood glucose response, post-prandial or after a meal. The higher the blood sugar reading, the higher will be the GI. GL, on the other hand, is both the quality and quantity of carbohydrate in a specific food, and is the product of the GI and the amount of carbohydrate available in a serving.
