Many dieticians already say that eating meals with a low glycemic index is healthier because it causes a decreased appetite and lower blood sugar, but now scientists may have found out how it works inside the stomach.

Researchers studied levels of GLP-1, a gut hormone known to suppress appetite, in volunteers for 150 minutes following a breakfast with either a high or low glycemic index.

After a single low-GI meal, participants had 20 percent higher GLP-1 levels and 38 percent lower insulin compared to those eating a high GI meal.

While the study was preliminary, researcher Reza Norouzy said that it demonstrated “the direct effect of a single GI meal on gut hormone levels,” adding that future studies would expand the number of participants to verify the physiological mechanism.

A low-GI diet has recently also been shown to better maintain type 2 diabetes as well as minimize the risk for coronary artery disease.

The alkaline diet has been studied as another healthy eating regimen to improve health, designed to help prevent certain cancers and autoimmune diseases.