Research

Hormonal

Adopting a low glycaemic index (GI) diet improves glycaemic control (lower HbA1c and fasting glucose) and reduces insulin requirements in patients with type 1 and type 2 diabetes compared to standard or high-GI diets.

For diabetic patients, replacing high-glycaemic index carbohydrates (like white bread and potatoes) with low-glycaemic index options (like pulses and legumes) is a highly effective dietary strategy. This swap significantly lowers HbA1c, reduces daily insulin needs, and stabilizes blood glucose levels without requiring drastic calorie restriction.

GoodSupportsHIGH confidence
A meta-analysis of eleven studies... lists the following improvements after a low-GI diet: a 16 % decrease in mean blood glucose levels, a 20 % decrease in urinary C-peptide, a 9 % fall of Hb A1c... A low-GI diet was found to induce a small but significant decrease in glucose profile... A decrease in insulin requirements was also found in another group of IDDM patients
Salwa W. Rizkalla et al. · British Journal Of Nutrition · 2002

Why this rating

Supported by a meta-analysis of 11 studies, large epidemiological studies (EURODIAB), and multiple randomized crossover trials.

Source

Health benefits of low glycaemic index foods, such as pulses, in diabetic patients and healthy individuals

Salwa W. Rizkalla et al. · British Journal Of Nutrition · 2002

DOI 10.1079/bjn2002715

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DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10

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