TY - JOUR T1 - Lower glycemic load meals reduce diurnal glycemic oscillations in women with risk factors for gestational diabetes JF - BMJ Open Diabetes Research & Care JO - BMJ Open Diab Res Care DO - 10.1136/bmjdrc-2016-000351 VL - 5 IS - 1 SP - e000351 AU - Nathalie V Kizirian AU - Janina Goletzke AU - Shannon Brodie AU - Fiona S Atkinson AU - Tania P Markovic AU - Glynis P Ross AU - Anette Buyken AU - Jennie C Brand-Miller Y1 - 2017/04/01 UR - http://drc.bmj.com/content/5/1/e000351.abstract N2 - Objective Maternal glycemia plays a key role in fetal growth. We hypothesized that lower glycemic load (GL) meals (lower glycemic index, modestly lower carbohydrate) would substantially reduce day-long glucose variability in women at risk of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM).Research design and methods A crossover study of 17 women (mean±SD age 34.8±4 years; gestational weeks 29.3±1.3; body mass index 23.8±4.7 kg/m2) who consumed a low GL or a high GL diet in random order, 1-day each, over 2 consecutive days. Diets were energy-matched and fiber-matched with 5 meals per 24 hours. All food was provided. Continuous glucose monitoring was used to assess diurnal glycemia.Results Maternal glucose levels were 51% lower on the low GL day with lower incremental area under the curve (iAUC±SEM 549±109 vs 1120±198 mmol/L min, p=0.015). Glycemic variability was significantly lower on the low GL day, as demonstrated by a lower average SD (0.7±0.1 vs 0.9±0.1, p<0.001) and lower mean amplitude of glycemic excursions (2.1±0.2 vs 2.7±0.2 mmol/L, p<0.001).Conclusions A lower GL meal plan in pregnancy acutely halves day-long maternal glucose levels and reduces glucose variability, providing further evidence to support the utility of a low GL diet in pregnancy. ER -