A diet favoring "good" over "bad" carbohydrates is better for the heart and less likely to slow down metabolism than a conventional low-fat diet, a small preliminary study suggests.
The "glycemic index" diet recommends carbohydrates that do not cause a sharp rise in blood sugar levels after meals, such as old-fashioned oatmeal rather than highly processed sugared breakfast cereal. It is not as anti-carb as Atkins-style regimens, nor as fat-restrictive as standard low-fat diets.