lower blood sugar levels with a high degree of certainty of evidence.
With moderate certainty, the diet was associated with reductions in fasting blood sugar, LDL (“bad”) cholesterol, weight and a protein involved in inflammation.
The diets did not seem to affect blood levels of insulin and HDL (“good”) cholesterol, waist circumference or blood pressure, the review found.
Diet is a cornerstone of diabetes therapy, Sievenpiper says. Though patients in the reviewed studies were already on medications or insulin, adding in a low-glycemic diet later could also help, the evidence shows.
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When it comes to choosing carbohydrates, she says people with diabetes ideally would choose whole and plant-based foods, including vegetables, fruit, legumes and whole grains.
“With the rise in popularity of plant-based diets right now, [this research] is coming out at a good time where people are a bit more aware of those kinds of foods,” Chiavaroli adds.
A big takeaway from the study is that all carbohydrates aren’t created equal.
Sievenpiper says, “All carbohydrates aren’t bad. And there’s advantages to selecting