Why women's blood sugar rises more than men's on white rice and potatoes
The effects of Mediterranean diets with low or high glycemic index on plasma glucose and insulin profiles are different in adult men and women: Data from MEDGI-Carb randomized clinical trial.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Scientists tested two kinds of Mediterranean diets—one with foods that spike blood sugar fast (like white rice), and one with slower-digesting carbs (like pasta). They gave these diets to men and women at risk for diabetes.
No biological mechanisms were identified in this study. This may be an epidemiological, observational, or survey-based study that reports associations rather than proposing causal biological pathways.
Systematic Reviews & Meta-Analyses
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Max 72Case-Control Studies
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Evidence Score
Participants are randomly assigned to treatment or control groups, minimizing bias. Considered the gold standard for testing whether an intervention causes an effect.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Scientists tested two kinds of Mediterranean diets—one with foods that spike blood sugar fast (like white rice), and one with slower-digesting carbs (like pasta). They gave these diets to men and women at risk for diabetes.
No biological mechanisms were identified in this study. This may be an epidemiological, observational, or survey-based study that reports associations rather than proposing causal biological pathways.
Systematic Reviews & Meta-Analyses
Max 100Randomized Controlled Trials
Max 90Cohort Studies
Max 72Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional Studies
Max 44Case Reports & Case Series
Max 30Expert Opinion & Narrative Reviews
Max 550 / 90
Evidence Score
Participants are randomly assigned to treatment or control groups, minimizing bias. Considered the gold standard for testing whether an intervention causes an effect.
Publication
Authors
Vitale M, Costabile G, Bergia RE, Hjorth T, Campbell WW, Landberg R, Riccardi G, Giacco R
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Claims (4)
In people at high risk for type 2 diabetes, women have higher blood sugar levels after eating high-glycemic index foods than low-glycemic index foods, and this difference grows larger over 12 weeks. Men do not show this difference between the two diets.
Among adults at high risk for type 2 diabetes, eating a Mediterranean diet high in glycemic index for 12 weeks raises average blood glucose levels by 37% in women, but not in men, when compared to a similar diet with low glycemic index and equal amounts of carbohydrates and fiber.
Consuming large amounts of carbohydrates leads to prolonged higher levels of glucose in the blood because the body converts carbohydrates to glucose faster than it can remove it from the bloodstream.
In people at high risk for type 2 diabetes, women's blood glucose levels rise more over time when they eat high-glycemic-index foods compared to men, suggesting that sex influences how the body manages blood sugar after meals.