Relation of Dietary Glycemic Index, Glycemic Load, and Fiber and Whole-Grain Intakes During Puberty to the Concurrent Development of Percent Body Fat and Body Mass Index

Abstract

The authors prospectively examined whether change in dietary glycemic index (GI), glycemic load (GL), fiber intake, or whole-grain intake during puberty is associated with concurrent change in percentage of body fat (%BF) or body mass index (BMI; weight (kg)/height)(2). Linear mixed-effects regression analyses were performed in 215 participants from the Dortmund Nutritional and Anthropometric Longitudinally Designed (DONALD) Study (Dortmund, Germany) who possessed weighed 3-day dietary records and anthropometric data at puberty onset (defined by age at takeoff) and over the subsequent 4 years (1988-2007). Neither changes in dietary GI, GL, fiber intake, nor whole-grain intake were associated with concurrent changes in %BF throughout puberty (change in %BF: -0.03 (standard error (SE), 0.11) per standard deviation (SD) increase in GI (P = 0.8); -0.01 (SE, 0.11) per SD increase in GL (P = 0.9); 0.02 (SE, 0.14) per SD increase in fiber intake (P = 0.9); and 0.09 (SE, 0.13) per SD increase in whole-grain intake (P = 0.5)). Similarly, no concurrent associations were observed between these dietary factors and BMI SD scores. Associations of dietary GI with %BF and BMI SD score differed between overweight and normal-weight adolescents (for concurrent association, P for interaction was 0.03 for %BF and 0.08 for BMI SD score). Dietary GI, GL, and fiber and whole-grain intakes in healthy, free-living adolescents do not appear to be relevant to the development of %BF or BMI during puberty.

Dietary glycemic index and glycemic load in relation to risk of overweight in Japanese children and adolescents: the Ryukyus Child Health Study

“…Nonetheless, given that median values of dietary GI and GL appear to be among the highest in the Danish (range of median: 58.8-60.2 and 154-217, respectively) 15 and the present Japanese (range of median: 62.6-63.8 and 135.4-169.0, respectively) studies, where the expected association was in fact observed, dietary GI and GL may have been too low or distributed too narrowly in other studies in which the association was not observed (range of median: 51.7-59.8 and 62.8-145.0, respectively). [10][11][12][13][14] We do not know why we found the expected association for dietary GL only and not GI; however, both the quality and quantity of dietary carbohydrate rather than quality alone may be important for the development of overweight. The limited number of observational studies in Western countries do not generally support the favorable effect of dietary fiber in measures of obesity, [12][13][14][36][37][38] with several exceptions.…”

“…[10][11][12][13][14] We do not know why we found the expected association for dietary GL only and not GI; however, both the quality and quantity of dietary carbohydrate rather than quality alone may be important for the development of overweight. The limited number of observational studies in Western countries do not generally support the favorable effect of dietary fiber in measures of obesity, [12][13][14][36][37][38] with several exceptions. 39 This is consistent with the null findings in the present Japanese study.…”

“…39 This is consistent with the null findings in the present Japanese study. It could be argued that the beneficial health effects of dietary fiber on body composition may require relatively high intake levels, 14 which could not be expected in the present population with relatively low intake levels (mean: p6.0 g/4184 kJ).…”

“…A limited number of observational studies has examined the association between dietary GI and GL and measures of obesity in children and adolescents. [10][11][12][13][14][15] In a cross-sectional study of Hong Kong children, dietary GL was not independently associated with overweight, but intake from snacking was not considered in the calculation of dietary GL. 10 No cross-sectional 11,12 or prospective 13,14 studies in Western countries found any independent association between dietary GI or GL and measures of obesity, with one exception.…”

“…8,9 However, epidemiologic evidence for the association between dietary GI and GL and measures of obesity in free-living children and adolescents is sparse. [10][11][12][13][14][15] Furthermore, research in non-Western populations, including Japanese, is extremely limited. 10 The Japanese dietary pattern has characteristics seldom observed in those of Western populations, including high intakes of rice, soybean products, fish, seaweeds and green tea, 16 in addition to high dietary GI and GL values.…”