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How the glycemic index measures up.(GUEST EDITORIAL)
Patients who ask about nutrition often focus on the relative merits of various diets: "Should I be on Atkins?" "What do you think of Ornish?" "Does Weight Watchers work?" When counseling patients who ask about the glycemic index, it's helpful to be able to offer the latest information on the value of eating foods that have a low index.
The glycemic index (GI) was developed in the 1980s as an alternative to the "simple" versus "complex" carbohydrate dichotomy. A carbohydrate's GI is determined by measuring the 2-hour blood glucose response after consumption of 50 g of the carbohydrate, and comparing that with the response to 50 g of glucose, which is given a GI score of 100.
Examples of low- to moderate-GI foods--that is, those with a GI lower than 70--include high-protein and high-fiber foods such as yogurt, skim milk, fruits, and rye bread. Examples of high-GI foods--those with a GI of 70-160--are potato chips, white rice, and pizza.
After the consumption of a high-GI food, increased insulin levels promote the storage of glucose in liver and muscle, and suppress fat utilization. The result may be weight gain. Also, a high-GI food causes a quick release of glucose, followed by hunger a few hours later. In theory, choosing low-GI carbohydrates may help manage fat utilization, improve appetite control, and control body weight.
Unfortunately, recent studies evaluating the use of low-GI diets to help control diabetes found only minimal improvement in glycemic control. The total amount of carbohydrates consumed was more important than the glycemic index in achieving optimal blood sugar control.
The idea of using the GI to guide nutritional choices has several practical limitations:
* The GI is not listed on food labels. Information on more than 800 foods is available from several resources, including Web ...
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Source: HighBeam Research, How the glycemic index measures up.(GUEST EDITORIAL)