Is Glycemic Index the Key to Weight Loss?
The researchers looked at what the participants ate, how much they worked out, and their body mass index (BMI), a measure of total body fat. BMI is used to assess heart disease risk. Higher BMIs were associated with diets that had higher glycemic index foods. Daily carbohydrate intake and percentage of calories from carbohydrates didn’t matter. The study indicates that the type of carbohydrate — noted by glycemic index — was what counted, say the researchers. Short-term weight loss studies have echoed that result, but “the long-term effect of glycemic index and total carbohydrates on body weight is currently unknown,” say Ma and colleagues. The finding is consistent with the idea that foods with a higher glycemic index trigger more insulin production and more fat storage, say the researchers. However, they don’t endorse cutting all carbohydrates or focusing on glycemic load for weight loss. Instead, glycemic index was most important, say the scientists, calling for more research.
