Research

Hormonal

Higher dietary glycemic load (GL) is associated with a significantly increased risk of coronary heart disease (CHD), with a relative risk of 1.44 per 65 g/d increase in GL among populations using valid dietary instruments.

To lower your risk of heart disease, pay attention to the glycemic load of your diet. This means choosing carbohydrates that have less impact on your blood sugar. The study suggests that for every 65 grams of glycemic load you consume daily, your risk of coronary heart disease increases by about 44% compared to lower intake, assuming you use accurate dietary tracking. Prioritize low-GL foods like vegetables, legumes, and whole grains over high-GL refined carbs.

GoodSupportsHIGH confidence
Meta-analysis of these valid studies yielded a combined dose-response RR (relative to the lowest dose) that increased in 11 studies by 1.44 (95% CI, 1.25-1.65; P<.001) per 65 g/d GL (adjusted to 2000 kcal/d)
Geoffrey Livesey et al. · Mayo Clinic Proceedings Innovations Quality & Outcomes · 2019

Why this rating

High-quality prospective cohort meta-analysis with strict inclusion criteria (valid dietary instruments, long follow-up), though observational data cannot prove causality definitively.

Source

Coronary Heart Disease and Dietary Carbohydrate, Glycemic Index, and Glycemic Load: Dose-Response Meta-analyses of Prospective Cohort Studies

Geoffrey Livesey et al. · Mayo Clinic Proceedings Innovations Quality & Outcomes · 2019

DOI 10.1016/j.mayocpiqo.2018.12.007

Meta-analysis · 12 studiesCited 82×
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DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10

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