Share

The right carbs boost health

Popular diets such as Atkins and South Beach recommend eating low or no carbohydrates to lose weight. But not all carbs are created equal, and now evidence suggests that using the "glycaemic index" may be the way to shed kilos and boost health.

Results of a new animal study found that a low-glycaemic-index diet can lead to weight loss, reduce body fat, and trim risk factors for diabetes and heart disease.

The glycaemic index ranks carbohydrates based on their immediate effect on blood sugar levels. Carbohydrates that break down quickly during digestion have the highest glycaemic index. Carbohydrates that break down slowly, releasing sugar gradually into the blood stream, have a low glycaemic index.

The mechanism explained
The theory is that the rapid increase in blood sugar makes you hungry and causes you to eat more and gain weight. Meanwhile, carbs that release their sugar more slowly keep your hunger in check.

"Contrary to popular belief, starchy foods can be broken down to sugar very quickly," said lead researcher Dr David Ludwig, director of the Optimal Weight for Life Program at Children's Hospital Boston. "White bread, breakfast cereals, potatoes, have a very high glycaemic index, whereas fruit, vegetables, nuts and legumes have a low glycaemic index," he added.

The problem with previous studies
According to Ludwig, previous studies in humans have suggested that low-glycaemic-index diets can have important health benefits. "But these studies have had difficulty in distinguishing the effects of glycaemic index from those of other dietary factors like protein and fibre," he said.

Partly for this reason, no agency in the United States recognises the glycaemic index in human nutrition, Ludwig said. The glycaemic index is recognised by many other countries and by the World Health Organisation, he said.

To determine the effect of a low-glycaemic-index diet in a controlled setting where the diet could be tested without interference from other factors, Ludwig's team experimented with rats.

An experiment with rats
In the experiment, rats were fed a diet of 69 percent carbohydrates. Eleven rats were randomly assigned to a high-glycaemic-index diet and 10 to a low-glycaemic-index diet, according to the report in the Aug. 28 issue of The Lancet.

After two to four months, the researchers found that the rats given the high-glycaemic-index diet had 71 percent more body fat and eight percent less lean muscle mass, compared with rats on the low-glycaemic-index diet.

In addition, the high-glycaemic-index group had significantly higher blood sugar and insulin levels and higher triglyceride levels, compared with the low-glycaemic-index group.

Myriad of health benefits
In further experiments, rats were switched from a low- to a high-glycaemic-index diet. These rats had greater increases in blood sugar and insulin, compared with animals switched from a high- to low-glycaemic-index diet.

"These findings suggest that low-glycaemic-index diets might help prevent and treat obesity, diabetes and heart disease," Ludwig said.

A healthful diet, according to Ludwig, includes adequate protein, healthy fats and carbohydrates that have a low-glycaemic-index - such as fruit, vegetables, nuts, whole grains and legumes.

There have never been any adverse effects from a low-glycaemic-index diet, Ludwig added.

"In contrast, low-fat diets can raise bad cholesterol and lower good cholesterol," he said.

"A low-glycaemic-index diet is the perfect compromise between a low-fat diet and an Atkins-type, very low carbohydrate diet," Ludwig said.

A word from Atkins Nutritionals
Dr Mary Vernon, a spokeswoman for Atkins Nutritionals Inc., and co-author of the Atkins Diabetes Revolution, said, "The Atkins diet doesn't say eat meat and eat a candy bar to get your carbohydrates."

Vernon said the diet recommends limiting carbohydrates to 20 grams per day until you lose the weight you want, and then increasing your intake of carbohydrates until you see that you are starting to gain weight.

"The Atkins diet recommends certain carbohydrate sources, which are all low-glycaemic-index sources," Vernon said. "Carbohydrates with a low glycaemic index are healthy carbs with nutritional value, not just energy value," she added. – (HealthDayNews)

Read more:
GI values of common foods
The GI and sports nutrition

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE