Insights into the latest advances in low glycemic foods, their mechanism of action and health benefits

Growing prevalence of diseases like diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular diseases demands some serious changes in our eating habits, and shifting to low glycemic foods is one of them. The concept of the glycemic index (GI) was created to quantify the glycemic responses stimulated by carbohydrates in different foods. GI is an important tool that influences our food choices and used to classify the foods on the basis of carbohydrate content. Low GI foods are associated with a lower postprandial blood glucose levels, lower insulin demand, reduction in blood lipid level, increasing fermentation in the colon and improving satiety. Consumption of low GI foods is certainly correlated with a contraction in modern lifestyle disorders such as overweight, diabetes, some types of cancer and heart diseases. This review summarizes the importance of low GI foods and the factors impacting the GI are discussed. Furthermore, the underlying mechanisms and methods for the development of low GI products are mentioned. Research trends in the health advantages of eating foods with a low GI are recapitulated.