Low-Glycemic-Index Diet Improves Glycemic Control, HDL in Type 2 Diabetes

Patients with stable type 2 diabetes can improve their glycemic control and HDL level with a low-glycemic-index diet, according to a study published in JAMA.


Roughly 200 patients taking antihyperglycemic drugs underwent randomization to either a low-glycemic-index diet or a high-cereal-fiber diet for 6 months. (The low-glycemic-index diet emphasized foods like pumpernickel bread, bulgur-and-flax breakfast cereal, and peas, lentils, and nuts; the high-cereal-fiber diet emphasized whole-grain breads and breakfast cereals, brown rice, and avoidance of starchy foods.)


By the 6-month mark, hemoglobin A1c levels decreased and HDL levels rose, both significantly, in patients on the low-glycemic-index diet.


The authors say the low-glycemic-index diet may add further glycemic control in patients on antihyperglycemic drugs.