A diet rich in slowly digested carbohydrates, such as whole grains, legumes and other high-fiber foods, significantly reduces markers of inflammation associated with chronic disease among overweight and obese adults, say researchers.

Such a `low-glycemic-load` diet, which does not cause blood-glucose levels to spike, also increases a hormone that helps regulate the metabolism of fat and sugar.

A new study by Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, which involved 80 healthy Seattle-area men and women - half of normal weight and half overweight or obese - found that among overweight and obese study participants, a low-glycemic-load diet reduced a biomarker of inflammation called C-reactive protein by about 22 percent.

`This finding is important and clinically useful since C-reactive protein is associated with an increased risk for many cancers as well as cardiovascular disease,` said lead author Marian Neuhouser, Ph.D., R.D., a member of the Cancer Prevention Program in the Public Health Sciences Division at the Hutchinson Center.

Neuhouser and colleagues also found that among overweight and obese study participants, a low-glycemic-load diet modestly increased - by about 5 percent - blood levels of a protein hormone called adiponectin.

This hormone plays a key role in protecting against several cancers, including breast cancer, as well as metabolic disorders such as type-2 diabetes, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and hardening of the arteries.

`Glycemic load` refers to how the intake of carbohydrates, adjusted for total grams of carbohydrate, affects blood-sugar levels.

`The bottom line is that when it comes to reducing markers of chronic-disease risk, not all carbohydrates are created equal. Quality matters,` Neuhouser said.

`There are easy dietary changes people can make. Whenever possible, choose carbohydrates that are less likely to cause rapid spikes in blood glucose,` she said.

These types of low-glycemic-load carbs include whole grains; legumes such as kidney beans, soy beans, pinto beans and lentils; milk; and fruits such as apples, oranges, grapefruit and pears.

Neuhouser also recommends avoiding high-glycemic-load carbohydrates that quickly raise blood glucose. These include highly processed foods that are full of white sugar and white flour, and sugar-sweetened beverages and breakfast cereals.

These findings are published online ahead of the February print issue of the Journal of Nutrition.

Source: ANI
Image: Flickr/creativecommons manishchn