Effects the Glycemic Index on Metabolic Risk Markers

Recent population studies have shown that the glycemic index (GI) of food products is positively associated with the risk of developing type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease (CVD). In the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes and CVD, inflammatory processes play a pivotal role. In a previous intervention study (11 weeks), however, we found no effects of lower-GI vs. higher-GI diets on fasting inflammatory markers in subjects with increased risk of developing the metabolic syndrome. People, however, spent most of their time in the postprandial period. Therefore, there is a need to study the postprandial effects of low-GI vs. high-GI diets. In addition, it needs to be emphasized the GI is derived from studies in lean subjects, while especially overweight and obese people suffer from metabolic aberrations related to the development of type 2 diabetes and CVD. AIM: To investigate in obese subjects the postprandial effects of a low-GI vs. high-GI food product on metabolic risk markers. A second research objective is to compare these effects with those in lean subjects.