Dietary Glycemic Index: Health Implications
Abstract
Weight loss can be achieved by any means of energy restriction, but the challenge is to achieve sustainable weight loss and prevent weight "creep" without increasing the risk of chronic disease. The modest success of low fat diets has prompted research on alternative dietary strategies, including high protein diets and low glycemic index (GI) diets. Conventional high carbohydrate diets, even when based on wholegrain foods, increase postprandial glycemia and insulinemia and may compromise weight control via mechanisms related to appetite stimulation, fuel partitioning, and metabolic rate. This paper makes the case for the benefits of low glycemic index diets over higher protein diets. Both strategies are associated with lower postprandial glycemia, and both are commonly labeled as "low glycemic load," but the long-term health effects are likely to be different. A large body of evidence, which now comprises observational prospective cohort studies, randomized controlled trials, and mechanistic experiments in animal models, provides robust support for low GI carbohydrate diets in the prevention of obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. Although lower carbohydrate, higher protein diets increase the rate of weight loss, cohort studies and meta-analyses of clinical trials suggest the potential for increased mortality.
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Mechanisms linking diet quality to metabolic risk appear to include calorie-independent effects of different types of foods on satiety, glucose-insulin responses, liver fat synthesis, adipocyte function, visceral adiposity, brain craving and reward, and metabolic expenditure.
“Mechanisms appear to include calorie-independent effects of different types of foods on satiety, glucose-insulin responses,45 liver fat synthesis,46 adipocyte function,47 visceral adiposity,48 brain craving and reward,49 and even metabolic expenditure.50”
From Dietary and Policy Priorities for Cardiovascular Disease, Diabetes, and Obesity: A Comprehensive Review (2016) · cites this paper as [45]
Rapidly digested, low-fiber carbohydrates drive many obesogenic pathways.
“Such rapidly digested, low-fiber carbohydrates drive many obesogenic pathways. 45, 46, 48-50”
From Dietary and Policy Priorities for Cardiovascular Disease, Diabetes, and Obesity: A Comprehensive Review (2016) · cites this paper as [45]
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- Authors
- Brand-Miller, J., McMillan-Price, J., Steinbeck, K., & Caterson, I.
- Affiliations
- The University of Sydney (AU)
- Private Practice Dietitian-Nutritionist, Paddington
- Royal Prince Alfred Hospital (AU)
- Corresponding author
- Brand-Miller, Jennie
- Venue
- Journal of the American College of Nutrition
- Publisher
- Informa UK Limited
- Published
- 2009-08-01
- Volume
- 28
- Issue
- sup4
- Pages
- 446S-449S
- ISSN
- 0731-5724 (ISSN-L)
- 1541-1087
- OpenAlex
- W2020243456
- Cited by
- 153
- References
- 25
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2025: 3 · 2024: 1 · 2023: 5 · 2022: 9 · 2021: 7 · 2020: 11 · 2019: 7 · 2018: 9 · 2017: 8 · 2016: 14 · 2015: 10 · 2014: 17 · 2013: 14 · 2012: 22
- FWCI
- 11.59
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Journal of the American College of Nutrition (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Nursing › Nutrition and Dietetics › Food composition and properties
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Diet and metabolism studies
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Nutritional Studies and Diet
- Keywords
- dietary glycemic index, low glycemic index diet, high-protein diet, weight loss, postprandial blood glucose, insulin levels, obesity prevention, diabetes prevention, cardiovascular disease prevention, mortality, caloric restriction, whole grains, appetite
- MeSH terms
- Animals, Blood Glucose, Cardiovascular Diseases, Chronic Disease, Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2, Humans, Insulin Resistance, Obesity, Weight Loss, Metabolic Syndrome, Glycemic Index, Diet, Carbohydrate-Restricted
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