Australian researchers report that a diet rich in low-GI carbohydrates may be linked to weight loss of five percent or more, as well as reductions in low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol.
The glycemic index (GI) ranks carbohydrates according to their ability to affect blood glucose. Foods with a high GI are rapidly digested and absorbed and result in large fluctuations in blood sugar levels. Low-GI foods are slowly digested and absorption, therefore produce gradual rises in blood sugar and insulin levels.
To examine the effects of different diets, researchers randomly assigned nearly 130 obese people to receive differing diets including a high carbohydrate diet with a high glycemic load, a high carbohydrate with low glycemic load, high protein and high glycemic load and high protein with low glycemic load.
At the end of the study period, researchers found people following a high GI diet experienced the slowest rate of weight loss, while those on high protein and low GI diets had the greatest weight reduction.
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