Benefits of a low glycemic index diet

  1. Diabetes control

Diet with low glycemic index and its effects on health and weight loss – Diet with low glycemic index reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes.

Diabetes is a complex disease that affects millions of people worldwide. People with diabetes are unable to process sugar effectively and this makes it difficult to control blood sugar. Proper control of blood sugar helps to prevent and delay complications such as heart diseases, strokes, and nerve and kidney damage.

 

Various researches indicate the positive effect of a diet with a low glycemic index on the reduction of blood sugar in people with diabetes.

In a 2019 review of 54 studies, researchers concluded that a low glycemic index diet helps reduce hemoglobin A1C (an indicator of blood sugar control), weight loss, and lower fasting blood sugar in people with diabetes and prediabetes.

 

In addition, some studies have linked a diet with a high glycemic index to an increased risk of type 2 diabetes. A study on 205,000 people showed that a diet with a high glycemic index increases the probability of type 2 diabetes by 33%. Another study on 24 studies showed that every 5 unit increase in glycemic index increases the probability of type 2 diabetes by 8%.

 

Diet with low glycemic index makes pregnancy easier in women with gestational diabetes. Also, a diet with a low glycemic index reduces the probability of fetal macrosomia by 73%. Fetal macrosomia is a condition in which babies are born with a weight of 3,600 to 5,900 kg. This usually causes many short-term and long-term complications for the baby and the mother.

  1. Improve cholesterol levels

A study showed that a diet with a low glycemic index reduces total cholesterol by 9.6% and bad cholesterol (LDL) by 8.6%. Bad cholesterol is associated with increased risk of heart disease and stroke.

 

  1. Help to lose weight

Some evidence suggests that a low glycemic index diet helps with fat loss. Of course, more studies are needed to determine the exact effect of a low glycemic index diet on long-term weight loss.

 

  1. Reducing the risk of cancer

Some research indicates that people who follow a diet with a high glycemic index are more susceptible to various cancers such as endometrial cancer, colon cancer, and breast cancer.

 

  1. Reducing the possibility of heart diseases

Recent studies have shown that eating a diet with a high glycemic index and glycemic load increases the risk of heart diseases.