**5. Future prospects**

Although, the optimal diet and macronutrient composition in diabetes remain controversial and the evidence is not sufficiently robust to recommend a low GI diet as the primary dietary strategy for GC, low GI diets are high in fibre and whole-grain products, rich in legumes, fruits and vegetables with balanced fat profile, low saturated fats and high monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs) and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs). Therefore, this nutritional intervention may have beneficial effects in diabetics and populations at risk, such as children with T1DM [4, 14]. Antioxidant treatments or diets rich in antioxidants may reduce the diabetes-related neurological complications, when they are used together with traditional treatments [12]. Given that there is no optimal diet for the management of GC in subjects with T1DM and T2DM, it would be interesting to study the effects of a low GI diet based in a traditional Mediterraneandiet pattern (rich in vegetables and fruits, high content in antioxidants and fibre), that had demonstrated to improve the GC in these subjects, to evaluate the power for preventing cognitive dysfunctions and to optimise the neurodevelopment in children and youth.

It is vital to perform more long-term studies in children and adolescents, especially in those with T2DM, due to the increased prevalence in this population, considering the scarce evidence for optimal management of children with T2DM [43]. On the other hand, it is essential to develop lifestyle interventions in population at risk during childhood and adolescence (individualised nutritional and exercise programmes), focused on investigating how to prevent the development of glucose tolerance impairment, and diabetes. These interventions could protect against cognitive decline, because they help to achieve GC, reducing hypo and hyperglycaemic episodes [44].

Furthermore, the clinical follow-up of T1DM children must include also a survey of neuropsychological and brain development to prevent long-lasting consequences.
