• Zhi-Geng Hu, Rong-Shao Tan, Di Jin, Wei Li, and Xiao-Yan Zhou.
• From the *Department of Clinical Nutrition, Zhu Jiang Hospital, Southern Medical University; †Department of Clinical Nutrition, Guangzhou Red Cross Hospital, Jinan University; and ‡Department of Clinical Nutrition, General Hospital of Guangzhou PLA, Guangzhou, China.
• J. Investig. Med. 2014 Dec 1; 62 (8): 975979975-9.

BackgroundA low glycemic index (GI) diet is beneficial for glucose control in patients with diabetes mellitus. This study aimed to investigate the influence of a low-GI diet on postprandial glucose levels in women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM).MethodsPregnant women with GDM were randomized to receive a normal diabetic control diet or a low-GI staple diet for 5 days. A low-GI staple food was used to replace rice in lunch and dinner for the low-GI staple diet group, whereas the total energy and carbohydrate levels remained equal in both groups. Fasting and postprandial glucose levels were determined daily.ResultsA total of 140 pregnant women with GDM were included in the study, including 66 in the low-GI staple diet group and 74 in the normal diabetic diet control group. No differences existed in baseline characteristics between the 2 groups (all P > 0.05). After dietary intervention, glucose levels were significantly reduced in the low-GI staple diet group (all P < 0.01) and the control group (all P < 0.008). Postintervention glucose values after breakfast, lunch, and dinner were significantly reduced in the treatment group compared with those in the control group (all P < 0.05). The percentage changes from baseline of all glucose values were significantly greater in the treatment group than in the control group (all P < 0.05).ConclusionsA low-GI staple diet significantly reduces postprandial glucose levels in women with GDM.

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