Food Intake and Dietary Glycaemic Index in Free-Living Adults with and without Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

• Published in: Nutrients Vol. 3; no. 6; pp. 683 - 693
• Main Authors: McGeoch, Susan C., Holtrop, Grietje, Fyfe, Claire, Lobley, Gerald E., Pearson, Donald W. M., Abraham, Prakash, Megson, Ian L., MacRury, Sandra M., Johnstone, Alexandra M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 01.06.2011; MDPI
• Subjects: Aged; Carbohydrates; Case-Control Studies; Diabetes; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 - diet therapy; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 - metabolism; Diet; Diet Records; Dietary Fats - administration & dosage; Dietary Fiber - administration & dosage; Edible Grain; Electronic mail systems; Energy Intake; Female; Food; Food Handling; Fruit; Glycemic Index; Humans; Male; Medical screening; Middle Aged; Nutrients; Nutrition; Nutrition Policy; Questionnaires; Sodium Chloride, Dietary - administration & dosage; United Kingdom; Vegetables; United Kingdom > UK; Scotland; type 2 diabetes mellitus; diet; food intake; glycaemic index; lifestyle
• ISSN: 2072-6643; 2072-6643
• DOI: 10.3390/nu3060683

A recent Cochrane review concluded that low glycaemic index (GI) diets are beneficial in glycaemic control for patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). There are limited UK data regarding the dietary GI in free-living adults with and without T2DM. We measured the energy and macronutrient intake and the dietary GI in a group (n = 19) of individuals with diet controlled T2DM and a group (n = 19) without diabetes, matched for age, BMI and gender. Subjects completed a three-day weighed dietary record. Patients with T2DM consumed more daily portions of wholegrains (2.3 vs. 1.1, P = 0.003), more dietary fibre (32.1 vs. 20.9 g, P < 0.001) and had a lower diet GI (53.5 vs. 57.7, P = 0.009) than subjects without T2DM. Both groups had elevated fat and salt intake and low fruit and vegetable intake, relative to current UK recommendations. Conclusions: Patients with T2DM may already consume a lower GI diet than the general population but further efforts are needed to reduce dietary GI and achieve other nutrient targets.