More of this Feature • Part 2: Insulin Scores • Part 3: Conclusions

Join the Discussion "What are your opinions about the Glycemic Index and Sugar Busters?" Linda

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From Other Guides • Nutrition • Carbs and Diabetes • Chinese Food Hunger

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When I hear the phrases Glycemic Index and low carbohydrate/high protein diets my gut reaction has been to dismiss them immediately. 'Sugar Busters' and other fad diets which vilify certain foods and glorify others rely on some of the science behind Glycemic Index studies, but carry the conclusions of these studies to the extreme. Busy Cooks used to carry a lot of information about high protein/low carbohydrate diets, and I have received many requests for more information. I have been studying the issue, and these are my opinions. Please keep in mind that I am not a medical doctor and any diet or lifestyle change should be discussed with your personal physician. I've reached my conclusions by reading articles from researchers who are studying the Glycemic Index and low carbohydrate diet plans, and are not benefitting financially from the programs - an important distinction to keep in mind when considering the source of information!

There are certain populations which do benefit from studying and understanding the glycemic index and focusing on low GI foods for blood sugar control and high GI foods to restore low blood sugar levels: diabetics and athletes in training. For everyone else, there are some things to learn from glycemic index studies. That knowledge can help improve your diet and your health.

There is so much conflicting information written about the Glycemic Index and low carbohydrate diets. I feel that taking the middle road is the best approach. One of the most complete articles that I have read on the subject is written by Dr. James Kenney, in Do High-Glycemic-Index Foods Cause Obesity? This article discusses the Insulin Score and the Satiety Index, important measurements in the study of food and nutrition and indices which should be considered when studying the Glycemic Index value of a food.

• What is the Glycemic Index?
  
  When you consume foods containing carbohydrates, your body's blood sugar levels increase. The body then releases insulin to process this increase. Foods which raise the blood sugar quickly and substantially are called high GI foods. Those which raise blood sugar more slowly are called low GI foods. Some have concluded that high GI foods automatically cause the body to secrete too much insulin, leading to fat storage, obesity, and diabetes. The truth, as is usually the case in nutrition science, seems to be much more complicated.

• The Pima Paradox
  
  The Pima Indians in Arizona and their genetic relatives in Mexico provide one of the greatest arguments against using the Glycemic Index as the sole measure of a food's nutrition and impact on health. The Arizona population has the world's highest rate of Type II diabetes mellitus, apparently because their diet changed from a high carbohydrate diet to one higher in protein and fat after World War II. Their Mexican cousins eat a diet primarily consisting of high GI foods like potatoes and corn, yet weigh 60-65 pounds less per person than their relatives in Arizona. Why the difference? Exercise, a high fiber diet, and foods high in nutritional value per calories consumed seem to be the important differences between the two groups, not the lower Glycemic Index foods the Arizona Pimas consume.