Evaluation of Various Starchy Foods: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis on Chemical Properties Affecting the Glycemic Index Values Based on In Vitro and In Vivo Experiments

The chemical properties that serve as major determinants for the glycemic index (GI) of starchy food and recommended low-GI, carbohydrate-based foods have remained enigmatic. This present work performed a systematic assessment of linkages between chemical properties of foods and GI, and selected low-GI starchy foods. The data were sourced from literature published in various scientific journals. In total, 57 relevant studies and 936 data points were integrated into a database. Both in vitro and in vivo studies on GI values were included. The database was subsequently subjected to a meta-analysis. Meta-analysis from in vitro studies revealed that the two significant factors responsible for the GI of starchy foods were resistant starch and phenolic content (respectively, standardized mean difference (SMD): −2.52, 95% confidence interval (95%CI): −3.29 to −1.75, p (p-value) < 0.001; SMD: −0.72, 95%CI: −1.26 to −0.17, p = 0.005), while the lowest-GI crop type was legumes. Subgroup analysis restricted to the crop species with significant low GI found two crops, i.e., sorghum (SMD: −0.69, 95%CI: −2.33 to 0.96, p < 0.001) and red kidney bean (SMD: −0.39, 95%CI: −2.37 to 1.59, p = 0.001). Meta-analysis from in vivo studies revealed that the two significant factors responsible for the GI of starchy foods were flavonoid and phenolic content (respectively, SMD: −0.67, 95%CI: −0.87 to −0.47, p < 0.001; SMD: −0.63, 95%CI: −1.15 to −0.11, p = 0.009), while the lowest-GI crop type was fruit (banana). In conclusion, resistant starch and phenolic content may have a desirable impact on the GI of starchy food, while sorghum and red kidney bean are found to have low GI.