Glycemic Index and Glycemic Load

The experts used to tell us we should avoid simpleand emotional well-being.Dr. Jennie Brand-Miller at the
carbohydrates, i.e. sugar, and instead eat complexUniversity of Sydney and some of her colleagues
carbohydrates, i.e. starches. Some of them are stillpublished an extensive list showing both the glycemic
saying that, which is unfortunate because scientistsindex and the glycemic load of 750 foods in the July
now know that this is not the right way to look at2002 issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition,
it.Scientists now know that some starches, such aspages 5-56. It's a tedious list to consult, though,
baked potato for example, cause your blood sugarbecause it contains many foods and brands from
and insulin levels to increase dramatically in much theother parts of the world, which most Americans are
same way as sugars cause these levels to jump. Sonot concerned about.More and more diet books,
they constructed something called the Glycemic Index,including several by Dr. Jenny Brand-Miller, are including
which shows how fast and to what degree a givenmore usable glycemic indexes these days, so you
amount of each kind of carbohydrate causes yourshouldn't have much trouble finding one.The reason it is
blood sugar and insulin levels to rise.In a typicalso important for you to have this information is
glycemic index, pure glucose is assigned the numberbecause when food causes your blood sugar to rise
100. All other carbohydrates are assigned lowertoo much, the increased blood sugar causes your
numbers corresponding to how fast and to whatinsulin levels to rise, and that causes weight gain,
degree they cause your blood sugar to rise inespecially around the waist, and all sorts of other
comparison to the way pure glucose causes yourhealth, appearance, and emotional problems as
blood sugar to rise. A baked russet potato causeswell.Insulin is an extremely important endocrine
your blood sugar to rise about 85% as much as purehormone that has a powerful effect on many aspects
glucose, so a baked potato is said to have a glycemicof health, appearance, and feelings of well-being.When
index of 85 on this type of index.Now more and moreinsulin levels are elevated, the levels of many other
diet-book gurus and nutrition journalists are tellinghormones and other types of chemical messengers in
people to forget about whether a carbohydrate isyour body change as well. And this can lead to all
simple or complex, and simply judge it by its glycemicsorts of trouble.Recent scientific studies have revealed
index. They tell us the rule we should follow is to simplya dramatic relationship between high-glycemic foods,
avoid foods that have a high glycemic index.This isobesity, and several major illnesses.Don De Grazia
unfortunate too, though, because the glycemic indexattended the University of Chicago as a Hutchins
only tells you how much a given quantity of theScholar and has participated in workshops
carbohydrate in a given food causes your blood sugarco-sponsored by the Harvard University Medical
to rise. The glycemic index does not tell you how muchSchool and Beth Israel Hospital. In 1982 he participated
carbohydrate is contained in that food. And thein a series of workshops which were co-sponsored by
quantity of carbohydrate in a given food is an eventhe University of Indiana Medical School, Dental School,
more important factor in determining how much thatand Graduate School of Psychology.He is the director
food will cause your blood sugar and insulin to rise.Noof Outreach Counseling Center in Oak Park, Illinois, and
problem. Another index has more recently beenhas conducted highly successful smoking-cessation,
developed by scientists which takes into considerationweight-loss, diet, and nutrition programs for more than
both factors: to what degree a given quantity of a32 years.He is also a writer who has been published in
given carbohydrate causes your blood sugar to rise,the United States, Canada, Italy, and Japan. He has
and also the quantity of carbohydrate contained in awon several international awards for his writing. In the
specific-size portion of that food.This new index isyear 2000, the Illinois Arts Council, an agency of the
called the Glycemic Load, and it provides you withState of Illinois, selected his fiction for its annual literary
extremely important information for weight loss and foraward.
many other aspects of health, energy, appearance,