Novel and Underutilized Foods for Low Glycemic Therapeutic Diets

With over 530 million adults living with type 2 diabetes globally, and obesity rates continuing to climb, the demand for effective, food-based strategies for glycemic management has never been greater. Low glycemic index (GI) diets are well-established therapeutic tools for improving blood glucose control, insulin sensitivity, and cardiometabolic risk. Yet, the therapeutic potential of conventional staple foods remains limited by their high starch digestibility and low fiber density.A growing body of evidence has identified novel and underutilized foods — including pseudocereals (amaranth, quinoa, buckwheat, chia), minor millets (kodo, foxtail, barnyard), ancient grains (teff, fonio), underutilized legumes (bambara groundnut, horse gram, cowpea), and nutrient-rich agro-industrial by-products — as promising low GI alternatives naturally abundant in resistant starch, dietary fiber, and bioactive phytochemicals. Research published between 2023 and 2025 has intensified focus on these crops, driven by global food security challenges, the 2023 International Year of Millets, and emerging clinical evidence linking these foods to improved metabolic outcomes.This Research Topic invites original research, clinical trials, and contemporary reviews that advance understanding of how novel and underutilized food sources can strengthen low glycemic therapeutic diets across the disciplines of food science, clinical nutrition, and metabolic health.Key themes of interest include:• Nutritional and functional characterization of underutilized grains, legumes, pseudocereals, and processing by-products with demonstrated or predicted low GI properties• Low GI food formulation and processing: development and optimization of functional foods, bakery products, snacks, and composite flours using underutilized ingredients and resistant starches• Clinical and metabolic outcomes: the impact of low GI dietary patterns featuring novel foods on glycemic control, insulin sensitivity, lipid profiles, and body composition in human studies• Gut microbiome modulation: the role of dietary fiber and resistant starch from underutilized sources in shaping gut microbial composition, short-chain fatty acid production, and downstream metabolic health• Sustainability and food systems: the environmental and food security dimensions of integrating underutilized crops into human diets, in support of SDG 2 (Zero Hunger) and SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-Being) Topic editors: Mrunal Barbhai, SHRINIKETAN PURANIK, Kuna Aparna Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/80845/novel-and-underutilized-foods-for-low-glycemic-therapeutic-diets