The tight glycemic control can prevent and/or delay the development of chronic complications of diabetes mellitus (DM). Dietary carbohydrates are the main determinant of postprandial blood glucose and glycemic index (GI) and glycemic load are used to predict blood glucose response to foods. The aim of this paper was to critically review the role of low GI diets in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) prevention and metabolic control. The risk for development of T2DM with high GI diets ranged from 1.21 to 1.59.The reduction from 12-32 units in the GI of diets decreased 0.39-0.50% in HbA1c values. However, the effects of these diets on lipid profile and body weight in patients with T2DM remain controversial. In conclusion, the current evidence indicates that the inclusion of GI in the dietary planning for patients with T2DM contributes to the improvement of glycemic control.
Carbohydrates; glycemic index; glycemic load; diabetes mellitus
