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Low glycaemic-index foods

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 March 2007

Inger Björck*
Affiliation:
Department of Applied Nutrition and Food Chemistry, Chemical Center, Lund University, PO Box 124, S-221 00, Lund, Sweden
Helena Liljeberg
Affiliation:
Department of Applied Nutrition and Food Chemistry, Chemical Center, Lund University, PO Box 124, S-221 00, Lund, Sweden
Elin Östman
Affiliation:
Department of Applied Nutrition and Food Chemistry, Chemical Center, Lund University, PO Box 124, S-221 00, Lund, Sweden
*
*Corresponding author: I. Björck, fax +46 46 222 9738, email Inger.bjorck@inl.lth.se
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Abstract

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Accumulating data indicate that a diet characterized by low glycaemic-index (GI) foods not only improves certain metabolic ramifications of insulin resistance, but also reduces insulin resistance per se. Epidemiological data also suggest a protective role against development of non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular disease. A major disadvantage in this connection is the shortage of low-GI foods, and many common starchy staple foods, such as bread products, breakfast cereals and potato products, have a high GI. Studies in our laboratory show that it is possible to significantly lower the GI of starchy foods, for example by choice of raw material and/or by optimizing the processing conditions. Such low-GI foods may or may not influence glucose tolerance at a subsequent meal. Consequently, certain low-GI breakfasts capable of maintaining a net increment in blood glucose and insulin at the time of the next meal significantly reduced post-prandial glycaemia and insulinaemia following a standardized lunch meal, whereas others had no ‘second-meal’ impact. These results imply that certain low-GI foods may be more efficient in modulating metabolism in the long term. Although the literature supports a linear correlation between the GI and insulinaemic index (II) of foods, this is not always the case. Consequently, milk products elicited elevated IIs, indistinguishable from a white bread reference meal, despite GIs in the lower range. This inconsistent behaviour of milk products has not been acknowledged, and potential metabolic consequences remain to be elucidated.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © The Nutrition Society 2000

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