Should the glycemic index be used in making decisions about what to eat? Why or why not?

What will be an ideal response?

There may be health protective reasons to consider eating low rather than high glycemic foods. For example, evidence gathered primarily through observational epidemiological studies indicates that low glycemic index foods facilitate feelings of fullness and fight obesity, improve insulin sensitivity, lower triglycerides, increase high-density lipoprotein (HDL) levels as well as lower the risk of Type-2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, colon and breast cancer. However, even though low glycemic foods may have health benefits, the issue of whether they should be recommended in diet plans for disease prevention is controversial. For example, the American Diabetes Association (ADA), a group that should be most concerned with this issue, does not emphasize using the glycemic index in making food decisions, but instead advises individuals to consider total carbohydrates as opposed to particular types of carbohydrates when choosing dietary plans. Though the current evidence is suggestive, more research is needed, specifically high quality experimental research such as randomized controlled trials before we can more definitively determine if eating low glycemic index foods can prevent chronic diseases such as heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, and cancer.