Effect of Low Glycemic Index Diet Versus Metformin on Metabolic Syndrome

BACKGROUND: Metabolic syndrome (MetS) continues to be highly prevalent and contributes to a rapidly growing problem worldwide. The most important therapeutic intervention for metabolic syndrome is diet modification, an intervention whose efficacy has been proven for metabolic syndrome. OBJECTIVES: The aim of the present study was to compare the effects of low glycemic index diet versus metformin on MetS components in adults with MetS. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Fifty-one adults with MetS participated in this randomized controlled clinical trial. Patients were randomly allocated to two groups of metformin and low glycemic index diet. The intervention period was eight weeks. The studied participants were compared at baseline and the end of the trial, regarding the following factors: weight, blood pressure, waist circumference, fasting blood sugar, hemoglobin A1c and lipid profiles (Triglyceride (TG), Total Cholesterol (TC), Low-Density Lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, and High-Density Lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol). RESULTS: The anthropometric measurements, Fasting Blood Sugar (FBS), Hemoglobin A1c, serum lipid profiles (TG, TC, LDL-C, HDL-C) and lipoprotein ratio (LDL/HDL) showed a significant decrease after the intervention in both groups (P < 0.05). Comparison of the difference between the two groups was not significant, except for the mean reduction in FBS, which was more in the metformin group although this was not clinically significant. CONCLUSIONS: This study supports the assumption that low glycemic index diet as well as metformin can positively affect metabolic syndrome components.