
If you have diabetes or prediabetes, your doctor will likely recommend that you see a dietitian to help you develop a healthy-eating plan.
A healthy eating plan is designed to help you control your blood sugar (glucose), manage your weight and control heart disease risk factors, such as high blood pressure and high blood fats.
When you eat extra calories and fat, your body creates an undesirable rise in blood glucose. If blood glucose isn't kept in check, it can lead to serious problems, such as a high blood glucose level (hyperglycemia) that, if persistent, may lead to long-term complications, such as nerve, kidney and heart damage.
You can help keep your blood glucose level in a safe range by making healthy food choices and tracking your eating habits.
For most people with type 2 diabetes, weight loss also can make it easier to control blood glucose and offers many other health benefits. If you need to lose weight, a low GI diabetes diet provides a well-organized, nutritious way to reach your goal safely.

The low glycemic (low GI) diet is based on the concept of the glycemic index (GI).
Studies have shown that the low GI diet may result in weight loss, reduce blood sugar levels, and lower the risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes.
The low GI diet appears to reduce blood sugar levels in people with diabetes. Diets higher in GI have also been associated with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes.
What is the glycemic index (GI)?
The glycemic index (GI) is a measurement system that ranks foods according to their effect on your blood sugar levels. It was created in the early 1980s by Dr. David Jenkins, a Canadian professor.
The rates at which different foods raise blood sugar levels are ranked in comparison with the absorption of 50 grams of pure glucose. Pure glucose is used as a reference food and has a GI value of 100.
The three GI ratings are:
Low: 55 or fewer
Medium: 56–69
High: 70 or more
Foods with a low GI value are the preferred choice. They’re slowly digested and absorbed, causing a slower and smaller rise in blood sugar levels.
On the other hand, foods with a high GI value should be limited. They’re quickly digested and absorbed, resulting in a rapid rise and fall of blood sugar levels.
The glycemic index (GI) is a ranking system that classifies carb-containing foods by their effect on blood sugar levels. It’s important to note that foods are only assigned a GI value if they contain carbs. Hence, foods without carbs won’t be found on GI lists. Examples of these foods include:
beef
chicken
fish
eggs
herbs
spices

A few factors can influence the GI value of a food or meal, including:
The type of sugar it contains. There’s a misconception that all sugars have a high GI. The GI of sugar ranges from as low as 23 for fructose to up to 105 for maltose. Therefore, the GI of a food partly depends on the type of sugar it contains.
The structure of the starch. Starch is a carb comprising two molecules — amylose and amylopectin. Amylose is difficult to digest, whereas amylopectin is easily digested. Foods with a higher amylose content will have a lower GI.
How refined the carb is. Processing methods such as grinding and rolling disrupt amylose and amylopectin molecules, raising the GI. The more processed a food is, the higher its GI.
Nutrient composition. Adding protein or fat to a meal can slow digestion and help reduce the glycemic response to a meal.
Cooking method. Preparation and cooking techniques can affect the GI too. The longer a food is cooked, the faster its sugars will be digested and absorbed, raising the GI.
Ripeness. Unripe fruit contains complex carbs that break down into sugars as the fruit ripens. The riper the fruit, the higher its GI.
For example, an unripe banana has a GI of 30, whereas an overripe banana has a GI of 48
The amount of carbs is also important. Carbohydrates are found in breads, cereals, fruits, vegetables, and dairy products. They’re an essential part of a healthy diet.
When you eat any type of carb, your digestive system breaks it down into simple sugars that enter the bloodstream.
Not all carbs are the same, as different types have unique effects on blood sugar.
The rate at which foods raise blood sugar levels depends on three factors: the types of carbs they contain, their nutrient composition, and the amount you eat.
Low GI diet and diabetes
Diabetes is a complex disease that affects millions of people worldwide.
Those who have diabetes are unable to process sugars effectively, which can make it difficult to maintain healthy blood sugar levels. However, good blood sugar control helps prevent and delay the onset of complications, including heart disease, stroke, and damage to the nerves and kidneys
Several studies suggest that low GI diets reduce blood sugar levels in people with diabetes - A 2019 review of 54 studies concluded that low GI diets reduced hemoglobin A1C (a long-term marker of blood sugar control), body weight, and fasting blood sugar levels in people with prediabetes or diabetes
What’s more, some research has linked high GI diets with a greater risk of developing type 2 diabetes. One study in over 205,000 people found that those with the highest GI diets had up to a 33% greater risk of developing type 2 diabetes than those who consumed the lowest GI diets.
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