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Study suggests low glycemic meals curb hunger
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A study from researchers at Kings College London suggests that eating a meal with a low-glycemic index (GI) can help keep you stay satiated for longer.
But before we delve into the study, let’s first discuss the concept of the glycemic index. Essentially, the GI is a ranking assigned to carbohydrates based on their effect on the body’s blood sugar levels. Low GI foods (less than a GI of 55), such as vegetables and fruit, take longer to digest and, therefore, release sugar in to the bloodstream at a slower rate than high GI foods (GI value of 70 and above), such as white bread or cereal.
For the study, researchers assigned 12 healthy volunteers to eat a medium GI meal for dinner, followed by a period of fasting and then either a high GI or low GI breakfast. For the next 150 minutes, study participants had blood samples taken every 30 minutes to test for levels of insulin and glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1), a hormone produced by the gut that is thought to cause a feeling of satiation and suppress appetite.
According to the data, participants who ate a low GI breakfast had 20% higher levels of GLP-1 and 38% lower levels of insulin than those who had consumed a high GI breakfast.
Although previous studies have suggested that a low GI diet can reduce appetite, the mechanism behind this reaction was unknown. This study’s lead author notes that the latest findings “suggest that low GI meals lead to a feeling of fullness because of increased levels of GLP-1 in the bloodstream.” She further comments that “this is an exciting result which provides further clues about how our appetite is regulated, and offers an insight into how a low GI diet produces satiety.” As such, the researcher calls for additional studies to continue to explore this link.
Want to study the effects of a GI diet on yourself? It can be as simple as subbing out a highly refined carbohydrate food at your next meal for a low GI option, such as an extra serving of fruits or vegetables, lean meats, or dairy.
