A diet rich in low-glycemic-index foods--which release glucose into the blood slowly--lowered A1Cs somewhat more than a high-fiber diet in people with type 2 diabetes in a recent 6-month trial. Furthermore, participants on the low-glycemic diet ended up with higher levels of “good” HDL cholesterol than the fiber group. Several studies have found health benefits in a high-fiber diet for people with diabetes, but this is the first to compare it directly to a low-glycemic diet.

Source: Journal of the American Medical Association, Dec. 17, 2008

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