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Metabolic syndrome, diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases

Is glycaemic index (GI) a valid measure of carbohydrate quality?

European Journal of Clinical Nutrition volume 67, pages 522–531 (2013)Cite this article

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Abstract

Recent criticisms of the glycaemic index (GI) focus on its validity with assertions that GI methodology is not valid, GI values are inaccurate and imprecise, GI does not predict what foods are healthy and that whole grain and fibre are better markers of carbohydrate quality than GI. None of the critics provide sound reasons for rejecting GI because some of their arguments are based on flagrant errors in understanding and interpretation while others are not supported by current data or are inconsistent with other nutritional recommendations. This paper addresses current criticisms of GI and outlines reasons why GI is valid: (1) GI methodology is accurate and precise enough for practical use; (2) GI is a property of foods; and (3) GI is biologically meaningful and relevant to virtually everyone. Current dietary guidelines recommend increased consumption of whole grains and dietary fibre but do not mention GI. However, this is illogical because the evidence that GI affects health outcomes is at least as good or better than that for whole grains and fibre. GI is a novel concept from a regulatory point of view and a number of problems need to be addressed to successfully translate GI knowledge into practice. The problems are not insurmountable but no progress can be made until bias and misunderstanding about GI can be overcome and there is better agreement about what is the actual state of knowledge on GI so that the real issues can be identified and addressed.

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Acknowledgements

The author’s research cited in this article was supported by grants to the author and scholarship support for the author’s graduate students from the Canadian Institutes for Health Research (CIHR Operating Grant MOP-79382), the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), Glycaemic Index Testing, Inc., and Glycemic Laboratories, Inc., and by grants to Glycemic Index Laboratories, Inc., from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Ag West Bio, Inc., CreaNutrition AG, The Swedish Governmental Agency for Innovations Systems, Sydney University GI Research Services and ILSI Europe. Collaborators in the interlaboratory GI studies cited here also received funding from the multiple sources indicated on the respective publications.

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  1. Department of Nutritional Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

    T M S Wolever

  2. Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Medicine, St Michael’s Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

    T M S Wolever

  3. Keenan Research Centre of the Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, St Michael’s Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

    T M S Wolever

  4. Glycemic Index Laboratories, Inc., Toronto, Ontario, Canada

    T M S Wolever

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  1. T M S Wolever
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Correspondence to T M S Wolever.

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Competing interests

I have an academic conflict of interest, in that I am co-inventor of the GI concept and want to see it accepted, however, neither my academic position nor salary depends on the success of the concept. I receive remuneration as President, Medical Director and Scientist of Glycemic Index Laboratories, Inc., a contract research organization; I receive remuneration as President and part owner of Glycaemic Index Testing, Inc., which provides services to GI Labs. I receive royalties as co-author of a number of popular books on GI under the general title of The Glucose Revolution, and consulting fees from Tamasek Polytechnic, Singapore for advice related to GI research. In the last 3 years, I have received payment as a member of the scientific advisory board of McCain Foods, Inc. Except for the preceding, I have no stocks or shares in any company that may gain or lose financially through publication (with the possible exception of companies included in mutual funds about which I am unaware and have no control over) and I have no ownership position in any patents or patent applications whose value may be affected by publication.

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Wolever, T. Is glycaemic index (GI) a valid measure of carbohydrate quality?. Eur J Clin Nutr 67, 522–531 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1038/ejcn.2013.27

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