Low Glycemic Index Diet in Patients With Type 1 Diabetes

The glycemic index (GI) was introduced by Jenkins and co-workers in the early 1980s, and is a concept for ranking of carbohydrate foods based on their effect on postprandial glycaemia. A meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials of the effect of low GI diets in the management of diabetes showed a beneficial effect (i.e., a reduction in HbA1c) of low GI versus high GI foods. However, several critical points concerning the GI concept remain, for instance, how to apply it in practical every day life, how to calculate GI in mixed meals, how to find relevant low GI foods, how to ensure compliance to a low GI diet. The most important issue, however, is the fact that studies on the long-term effects of a low GI diet in type 1 diabetes are lacking. In this study, the critical issue of finding palatable low GI foods will be solved in close collaboration with the food industry. This may lead to the development of new commercial products with low GI, which is necessary if low GI diets are to be advocated for diabetics in the future. Comparison(s): A low glycemic index diet, compared to a medium/normal glycemic index diet.