Low-glycemic Index Diets in the Improvement of HbA1c in Diabetes: A Systematic Review of Randomized Control Trials

Authors: Spyridon Zarogiannis

Affiliations: University of Glasgow, College of Medical, Veterinary & AMP; Life Sciences, Institute of Cardiovascular & AMP; Medical Sciences, Glasgow, Greece

Citation: Spyridon Zarogiannis (2019), Lowglycemic Index Diets in the Improvement of HbA1c in Diabetes: A Systematic Review of Randomized Control Trials. Global Diabetes Open Access Journal, 1(1); 1-5

Copyright: © 2019, Spyridon Z. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 international License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

ABSTRACT

There is a controversy around the world about the utility of low-GI diets in diabetes management. The aim of this systematic review is to assess the effect of low-GI diets in the improvement of Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) in diabetes in randomized control trials. Literature searches identified 10 Randomized Control Trials (RCT) comprising 630 subjects, that met strict inclusion criteria. All were randomized crossover or parallel experimental design with a diet duration ranging from 4 to 48 weeks. There was a significant difference in HbA1c levels between the low-GI and the high-GI diets in 6 out of 10 studies. Low-GI diets may contribute to improved glycemic control in diabetes, but further research is required to determine the benefit on long-term glycemic control.

• Fulltext Article