(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- New research shows eating a diet lower in
carbohydrates may help those with type 2 diabetes manage their blood sugar more
than eating a high-fiber diet.
In a recent study at the University of Toronto, patients with type 2 diabetes
who were put on a diet emphasizing low-glycemic foods like lentils, nuts, beans,
peas and pumpernickel bread lowered their blood sugar and their risk of coronary
heart disease more than patients on a high-cereal-fiber diet.
Participants in the low-glycemic diet lowered their HbA1c, a measurement of
blood glucose, by 0.50 percent, whereas those in the high-fiber group lowered
theirs by 0.18 percent. Those on the low-glycemic diet also saw an increase in
their good cholesterol while the other group saw a decrease.
Study authors say experts still disagree over the effectiveness of low-glycemic
diets even though they have been proposed as a strategy to improve diabetes
control and lower the risk of cardiovascular disease. The new research provides
support for the diet.
"Low–glycemic index diets may be useful as part of the strategy to improve
glycemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes taking antihyperglycemic
medications," study authors wrote.
SOURCE: Journal of the American Medical Association, 2008
