Low glycaemic diet good for diabetic youth

Low glycaemic diet helps to lower blood pressure and shed weight, thereby reducing the risk of heart disease in young diabetics.   Glycaemic index (GI) refers to how rapidly food causes blood sugar to rise. High-GI foods (HGI), like white bread and potatoes, spur a quick surge in blood sugar. On the other hand, low-GI (LGI) foods, such as lentils, soybeans, yogurt and many high-fibre grains, create a gradual increase in blood sugar.   In order to test the effect of HGI and LGI meals on blood glucose levels, researchers in US monitored the blood glucose in 20 young diabetics, aged 7-16 years. They were given macronutrient-matched HGI and LGI meals 1 day each following consumption of a standardised evening meal. Continuous glucose monitoring systems were used to assess blood glucose profiles.   It was found that while consuming a low GI diet, blood glucose levels were in the target range 66 percent of the time compared to 47 per cent of the time when consuming a high GI diet. Further, the patients also demonstrated significantly lower daytime average blood sugar levels compared to the high GI diet and fewer blood sugar elevations.   The findings suggest that a low GI diet may reduce the dose of insulin required while improving blood sugar control, supporting the utility of an LGI diet in optimising diabetes management. Promoting LGI diet may offer substantial health benefits to people with type 1 diabetes.