Despite the negative publicity theyve gotten over the past few years, all carbohydrates are not bad for your health.
You may have heard of the Glycemic Index, which measures how fast a carbohydrate is digested and raises blood sugar levels. The lower the glycemic value, the more staying power a food has and the longer it will suppress your appetite. The higher the Glycemic Index of a carbohydrate, the faster it is broken down in the intestine and the more quickly and dramatically it will raise your blood sugar level -- and the bigger the subsequent drop.
Some manufacturers like Kraft and Kellogg are marketing products that are low glycemic (a label that is replacing low carb claims as Atkins and other low-carb diets fade from popularity). In fact, the number of low glycemic product introductions has jumped sharply since 2003. While many say theres better science behind the Glycemic Index than the low carb diet, the Glycemic Index is difficult to understand and deals with only single foods: It doesnt take into account what happens when you eat more than one food at a time. So while an apple may have a low Glycemic Index value of 40, the bagel you eat it with, which has a Glycemic Index of 72, can change the balance enough to make the Glycemic Index irrelevant.
The bottom line: While the Glycemic Index is a good research tool, it currently does not have much application to real life. So ignore the packaging claims about Glycemic Index values and focus on fruits, vegetables, and whole-grains as the sources of carbohydrates in your diet.
The 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends that half of the grains you eat be whole grains. Common whole grains include: brown rice, buckwheat, bulgur (cracked wheat), muesli, oatmeal, popcorn, whole grain barley, whole grain cornmeal, whole rye, whole wheat bread, pasta, crackers, sandwich buns and rolls, tortillas, and cereal flakes, wild rice. If youre feeling adventurous, try cooking with or buying products that contain these less well-known whole grains -- amaranth, millet, quinoa. sorghum, triticale.
Medical Disclaimer: This information is not intended to substitute for the advice of a physician. Click here for additional information: Johns
Hopkins Health Alerts Disclaimer
Users and editors may post comments here at their own discretion. The views expressed do not constitute medical advice and do not represent the position of Johns Hopkins Medicine or University Health Publishing, which has no responsibility for its content.
I was very disappointed in your article "On the Glycemic Index and Healthy Carb Choices." It appears to me that your writer is quite out-of-date in her/his knowledge of this subject and needs substantial re-education. For example, the article does not even mention "Glycemic Load" which is a major factor. The glycemic concept may be difficult for the writer to understand but he/she should not be allowed to write for such an important publication unless better information is presented.
Posted by: jimhinkel | April 5, 2007
In reply to the coment posted above: Our alerts are not intended to be the final word on any topic. In our 2007 Diabetes White Paper we talk briefly about the glycemic index. Here is an excerpt:
Q. Some say that the glycemic index can be useful in meal planning. I have read that the glycemic load is more accurate. What is the glycemic load and should I use it?
A. The glycemic index (GI) is a system for ranking how fast and how much blood glucose rises when you eat a food that contains carbohydrates, compared with eating the same amount of carbohydrates in the form of white bread. Its true that eating a diet that contains mostly low-GI foods makes it easier to maintain steady blood glucose levels. Unfortunately, this method unfairly demonizes certain foods. For instance, carrots have a high GI, suggesting that you should avoid them. But you would need to gnaw through seven raw carrots to get the same amount of carbohydrates in white bread.
A concept called the glycemic load (GL) treats the carrot a little more fairly. Its determined by multiplying a foods GI by the number of carbohydrate grams in a serving. So that carrot with a high GI now has a low GL, if you eat one or two instead of seven. But theres still a problem. Both GI and GL look at foods in isolation. The numbers do not reflect other foods that you might eat at the same time. For example, eating carrots with a butter sauce will lower the GI and GL of the carrots, because fat slows the absorption of food in your digestive tract. Confused? So are a lot of people, and rightly so. We recommend that rather than fussing over numbers, become familiar with the broad categories of foods that tend to have the biggest impact on your blood glucose (for example, certain Chinese foods, pizza, and nondiet beverages), and replace these foods with healthier choices.
Editor, Johns Hopkins Health Alerts
Posted by: Marjorie | April 5, 2007
Thank you for the clarification. Once again, Johns Hopkins is sorting the facts from the hype for the benefit of all of us interested in our health, but bombarded with advice from every direction. One day it's GI, then it's GL, then it's goodness knows what else!
Two other points about the downside of GI and GL diets, is that there is little agreement about the measurement of each food--you would have to sit around with a chart even more confusing than one for calorie counting to try to even make sense of it all!
AND, even more important, no food can be taken in isolation. In other words, you have to look at EVERY single food you eat in one sitting, because one food can often interfere with the way the other is absorbed into your body.
Many thanks again, and I look forward to even more great nutrition and weight loss articles!
Posted by: Jo | April 26, 2007
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