Glycemic Index Takes A One-Two Punch
It used to be that the term "GI" meant gastrointestinal tract but no
longer...the new buzz word, glycemic index has taken that one over. And yes,
I've written about the Glycemic Index in an article or two for WebMD but I have urged people over the years that the Glycemic Load (which also takes into account the number of carbohydrates per serving of the food in question) gets you closer to the actual affect a food has on blood sugar when eaten in normal life conditions.
* Think of the glycemic load as the glycemic index with attitude.
* The GI tells you how quickly a particular carbohydrate in food makes your
blood sugar rise, but it doesn't take into account how many carbohydrates
are found in a serving. That means that some healthy, but relatively
lower-carb, foods -- like carrots -- end up with a high GI number.
* The glycemic load, meanwhile, takes the number of carbs per serving into
consideration along with the food's glycemic index. To find a food's
glycemic load, you basically multiply its GI value by number of
carbohydrates per serving.
* The glycemic load allows us to compare the likely effect on blood sugar
of realistic serving sizes of different foods.
Many a diet and book has even been based on the Glycemic Index but some
researchers and experts have held their applause, unconvinced that this
number truly holds value in real life, where food is eaten as part of a
mixed meal. The GI takes a one-two punch in the June 2004 issue of the
British Journal of Nutrition.
One study (testing the use of the glycemic index tables to predict glycemic
index of mixed breakfast meals--British Journal of Nutrition Volume 91,
Issue 6 pp. 979-989) concluded that "the GI of mixed meals calculated by
table values does not predict the measured GI and furthermore that
carbohydrates do not play the most important role for GI in mixed breakfast
meals." They actually found that the GI of mixed meals was more strongly
related with the fat and protein content or with the energy content of the
meal (than with carbohydrate alone).
Another study (this one by diabetes researcher Mayer-Davis from the
University of South Carolina in Columbia) found there was no association
between high glycemic index eating habits and elevated blood sugar among 813 adults who were followed over 5 years.
What does this mean? This means if you are diabetic you might consider
counting carbs, fat and fiber (maybe even protein) from time to time to
decipher the ideal combination that helps you maintain normal blood sugars.
Can we learn something from reading about the glycemic index of foods? Well,
you'll learn more from knowing the glycemic load of foods. And ultimately
the way your body's blood sugar responds to a meal has to do with more than
just the carbohydrates and their individual effect on your blood sugar.
Related Topics: Diabetes, Quick Weight Loss and the Risk of Fad Diets, Metabolic Syndrome Skyrocketing
Technorati Tags: GI, glycemicindex, glycemicload, diabetes, carbs
longer...the new buzz word, glycemic index has taken that one over. And yes,
I've written about the Glycemic Index in an article or two for WebMD but I have urged people over the years that the Glycemic Load (which also takes into account the number of carbohydrates per serving of the food in question) gets you closer to the actual affect a food has on blood sugar when eaten in normal life conditions.
* Think of the glycemic load as the glycemic index with attitude.
* The GI tells you how quickly a particular carbohydrate in food makes your
blood sugar rise, but it doesn't take into account how many carbohydrates
are found in a serving. That means that some healthy, but relatively
lower-carb, foods -- like carrots -- end up with a high GI number.
* The glycemic load, meanwhile, takes the number of carbs per serving into
consideration along with the food's glycemic index. To find a food's
glycemic load, you basically multiply its GI value by number of
carbohydrates per serving.
* The glycemic load allows us to compare the likely effect on blood sugar
of realistic serving sizes of different foods.
Many a diet and book has even been based on the Glycemic Index but some
researchers and experts have held their applause, unconvinced that this
number truly holds value in real life, where food is eaten as part of a
mixed meal. The GI takes a one-two punch in the June 2004 issue of the
British Journal of Nutrition.
One study (testing the use of the glycemic index tables to predict glycemic
index of mixed breakfast meals--British Journal of Nutrition Volume 91,
Issue 6 pp. 979-989) concluded that "the GI of mixed meals calculated by
table values does not predict the measured GI and furthermore that
carbohydrates do not play the most important role for GI in mixed breakfast
meals." They actually found that the GI of mixed meals was more strongly
related with the fat and protein content or with the energy content of the
meal (than with carbohydrate alone).
Another study (this one by diabetes researcher Mayer-Davis from the
University of South Carolina in Columbia) found there was no association
between high glycemic index eating habits and elevated blood sugar among 813 adults who were followed over 5 years.
What does this mean? This means if you are diabetic you might consider
counting carbs, fat and fiber (maybe even protein) from time to time to
decipher the ideal combination that helps you maintain normal blood sugars.
Can we learn something from reading about the glycemic index of foods? Well,
you'll learn more from knowing the glycemic load of foods. And ultimately
the way your body's blood sugar responds to a meal has to do with more than
just the carbohydrates and their individual effect on your blood sugar.
Related Topics: Diabetes, Quick Weight Loss and the Risk of Fad Diets, Metabolic Syndrome Skyrocketing
Technorati Tags: GI, glycemicindex, glycemicload, diabetes, carbs
5 Comments:
Question:
Does the glycemic load of foods have an effect upon hsCRP?
Myrna Garron, M.S., R.D.
I like Myrna's question, and would also like to know the answer.
The Mayer-Davis study is so much garbage if no attempt was made to distinguish between diabetics and other people, and the extract doesn't indicate any differential was made. My diabetic mother's blood sugar levels are impacted far differently from mine when eating the same foods.
How can you determine the GI of foods prior to eating them?
I can't vouch for the accuracy, but you can find the G.I. for various foods at http://www.carbs-information.com/glycemic-index.htm#gi%C2%A0%C2%A0
They also have a table that shows the Glycemic Load (which also takes into account the portion size) for various foods, at:
http://www.carbs-information.com/glycemic-load.htm
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