I've read similar articles over the last two years, and I have wondered the same thing. I've often wondered about the validity of the GI in real life scenarios. One dietitian put it best when she said that the GI of sugar only matters if you are eating a bowl of sugar. Having a small amount of sugar in a recipe may not have any effect at all on the GI of the end product since there are so many variables in place. The GI of pasta changes if you cook it one minute more or less, or if it's thicker or thinner, or if it was made in Italy or Canada. Add meat sauce, olive oil, cheese, turnips or whatever, and who knows what the GI of your dinner is. It made my head spin
On the other hand, paying attention to the GI of foods has had the added benefit of making us pay more attention to what we eat. Many foods that are lower GI may also be higher in fiber, vitamins, or other important nutrients. Plus sugar has no nutritional value and we should limit (not necessarily avoid) it anyway. Many higher GI foods are highly processed junk which are loaded with excess calories. Since we limit our choices, we probably eat less. So we eat healthier and consume fewer calories, even if the GI itself has nothing to do with weight loss.
Though on the flip side of that, lol, it can become easy to go overboard and avoid foods that are low in calories and loaded with nutrition just because they have a high GI. Or ignore recipes that utilize a lot of interesting healthy vegetables and lean meats, just because they require a small amount of a high GI ingredient to come out right. Moderation in everything should be the key, unless you have a health condition and your doctor recommends a specific diet.
But that's just my opinion. Dieting is a very personal experience based on lifestyle and personal tastes, and we don't all need the same thing. I don't expect everyone to agree with me
Research report: 'Glycemic index' of little use to dieters
