Is glycemic index diet too complicated?

Reported by Susan Aldridge, PhD, medical journalist

Diabetes resarchers show that the link between glycemic index and blood glucose is not a straightforward one.
Diets focused on glycemic index (GI) are meant to help weight control by regulating blood glucose, which also reduces the risk of diabetes. The idea is that high GI foods such as french fries, watermelon and dried fruit, are worse at controlling blood sugar than low GI foods which include apples, plums and oranges. If you base your diet on low GI, you should lose weight.

But this is too simple, say researchers at the University of South Carolina's Arnold School of Public Health. They point out that GI indices come from experiments done under lab conditions and may not relate to people in real life situations. They looked at a group of 1,000 people following a low or high GI diet to see what effect these had on glucose levels. It turned out that GI had no clear relation to blood sugar. Instead, the researchers think it is the fiber in low GI foods that gives the health benefit. And it is obesity that causes problems for those eating a lot of GI foods. They recommend sticking to a simpler formula if you want to lose weight. Follow a diet low in saturated fat that includes whole grains, fiber, fruits and vegetables - and don't forget to exercise!

Source
Diabetes Care 2006;28:2832-2838

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