Hormonal
A low-glycemic load diet produces significantly greater weight loss and body fat reduction than a low-fat diet in obese young adults with high insulin secretion (high 30-min post-glucose insulin), whereas both diets yield comparable results in those with low insulin secretion.
If you are obese and struggling with weight loss, your insulin response to carbohydrates might be the key. If you have high insulin levels after eating carbs, switching to a low-glycemic load diet (focusing on nonstarchy vegetables, legumes, and healthy fats) is likely to be more effective for weight loss than a standard low-fat diet. If your insulin response is normal, a low-fat diet will work just as well. Consider getting your insulin response tested to guide your dietary choice.
For those with insulin concentration at 30 minutes above the median (57.5 µIU/mL; n=28), the low–glycemic load diet produced a greater decrease in weight (–5.8 vs –1.2 kg; P=.004) and body fat percentage (–2.6% vs –0.9%; P=.03) than the low-fat diet at 18 months. There were no significant differences in these end points between diet groups for those with insulin concentration at 30 minutes below the median level (n=28).
Why this rating
Randomized controlled trial with rigorous methodology, masked outcome assessment, and stratified analysis, though the subgroup sample size (n=28 per stratum) limits statistical power for the interaction term.
Source
Effects of a low-glycemic load vs low-fat diet in obese young adults: a randomized trial.
Cara B. Ebbeling et al. · PubMed · 2007
DOI 10.1001/jama.297.19.2092
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