News & Research
"Low-GI" Foods May Help Women With Gestational Diabetes
Can a low-glycemic index diet reduce the need for insulin in gestational diabetes mellitus? By Robert G. Moses and colleagues. Diabetes Care 32:996–1000, 2009
What is the problem and what is known about it so far?
Women who have high blood glucose that is discovered for the first time during pregnancy are said to have gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). Women with GDM are not able to make or use all the insulin their bodies need during pregnancy. Treating GDM is important for the health of pregnant women and their developing fetuses. Treatment always includes special meal plans and exercise, but when those measures are not enough, pills or insulin is sometimes added. Meal plans for GDM, as for other types of diabetes, involve tracking and limiting carbohydrate foods (starches and sweets), which raise blood glucose. One way to do this is to pay attention to the “glycemic index” (GI) of foods and eat more low-GI foods. GI measures how much a given carbohydrate food raises blood glucose. Foods with a low GI rating raise blood glucose less than foods with a high GI rating. Low-GI diets have been helpful for people with type 2 diabetes and for pregnant women without GDM. Less is known about how such a diet might affect women with GDM.
Why did the researchers do this particular study?
The researchers wanted to find out whether following a low-GI diet might help pregnant women control GDM without having to use insulin.
Who was studied?
The study included 63 women with GDM.
How was the study done?
The women followed either a low-GI diet or a diet that offered a similar level of nutrition but had a higher overall GI. Some examples of low-GI foods are 100% stone-ground whole wheat bread, rolled or steel-cut oatmeal, pasta, sweet potatoes, corn, lima beans, peas, and most fruits and non-starchy vegetables. Some examples of high-GI foods are white bread, corn and bran flakes, white rice, potatoes, pretzels, popcorn, crackers, melons, and pineapple.
What did the researchers find?
Women who followed the low-GI diet were much less likely to need insulin to control their GDM. Of those using the low-GI diet, 29% needed to start insulin. Of those using the other diet, 59% reached a point where they needed insulin, but nearly half of these women were able to avoid starting insulin by switching to a low-GI diet. Women in both groups were equally likely to have safe, successful pregnancies.
What were the limitations of the study?
Nearly all of the women in the study were white, so results may differ for women of other racial and ethnic backgrounds. Also, the researchers could not hide the type of diet each woman was assigned, and knowing which diet they were on might have led women to change other behaviors that would affect the results.
What are the implications of the study?
Following a low-GI diet during pregnancy can help women with GDM control their blood glucose without using insulin.
Gestational Diabetes http://www.diabetes.org/gestational-diabetes.jsp
Glycemic Index and Diabetes http://www.diabetes.org/food-nutrition-lifestyle/nutrition/meal-planning/glycemic-index-and-diabetes.jsp
What Can I Eat: The Diabetes Guide to Healthy Food Choices http://store.diabetes.org/products/product_details.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524441764206&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374302024111&bmUID=1248196221509
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