Research

Hormonal

Advising subjects with impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) to consume a high-carbohydrate, low-glycemic index (GI) diet significantly improves glucose disposition index (DI) and beta-cell function compared to high-GI or low-carbohydrate high-MUFA diets, without altering insulin sensitivity.

If you have impaired glucose tolerance, focus on the quality of your carbohydrates rather than just cutting them out. Aim for a diet where 55% of your calories come from carbohydrates, but prioritize low-glycemic index foods like legumes, barley, and whole-grain pasta. This approach has been shown to significantly improve your pancreas's ability to secrete insulin (beta-cell function) compared to low-carb or high-glycemic diets, helping to manage your condition without needing to restrict total carbohydrate intake.

GoodSupportsHIGH confidence
High-carbohydrate – low-glycaemic index dietary advice improved b-cell function in subjects with IGT, and may, therefore, be useful in the management of IGT.
Thomas M.S. Wolever et al. · British Journal Of Nutrition · 2002

Why this rating

Randomized controlled trial with a small sample size (n=37 randomized, n=34 analyzed) but rigorous metabolic testing (FSIGTT).

Source

High-carbohydrate–low-glycaemic index dietary advice improves glucose disposition index in subjects with impaired glucose tolerance

Thomas M.S. Wolever et al. · British Journal Of Nutrition · 2002

DOI 10.1079/bjn2002568

rct · n=37Cited 179×
Read the paper
DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10

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