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NaturalNews.com printable article
Originally published July 27 2009

The Carbohydrate Conundrum
by Dr. Julian Whitaker
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(NaturalNews) The diet and weight loss industry is booming. Everywhere
you turn, there's one gimmick or another guaranteed to melt the pounds
away. From billboards and magazines to TV and radio ads, you can't
escape the promises of the latest and greatest. Trying to figure out
what works and what doesn't is enough to drive you crazy.

Folks, forget about low-fat this, carb-free that, and diets that
require rocket science-level math to compute portion sizes and caloric
intake. There's an easy way to eat your way to health and fitness.

Understanding Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are your body's primary source of energy. As they are
digested and released into the bloodstream as glucose, they signal
cells in the pancreas to produce insulin, which escorts glucose into
the cells, where it is metabolized into energy.
According to conventional wisdom, carbohydrates are lumped into two
main categories: simple and complex. Simple carbohydrates are so named
because they contain only one or two simple sugars, such as sucrose or
fructose. Starchy carbohydrates, comprised of long chains of sugars,
are considered complex. The old school of thought figures simple carbs
are bad and should only be eaten in limited quantities, while complex
carbs are given carte blanche since, in theory, they have less of an
impact on blood sugar levels.

Turns out, it's much more complicated than this. We now know that the
effect carbohydrate foods have on blood sugar goes far beyond the old
simple-complex model. Starchy complex carbohydrates such as potatoes
and rice rapidly drive up blood sugar levels like "simple" carbs,
while the blood sugar effects of "complex" grains are dependent on
factors such as particle size. For example, whole oats behave quite
differently than instant oatmeal. This is why a preferred method of
evaluating carbohydrate foods based on the glycemic index (GI) has
evolved.

Glycemic Index vs. Glycemic Load
The GI measures the degree to which carbohydrate-containing foods
trigger a rise in blood sugar levels. (Proteins and fat have little
effect on blood sugar.) Foods with a low GI provoke smaller, more
sustained elevations and provide a nice, steady supply of glucose and
energy. Foods with a high GI, however, prompt rapid blood sugar
spikes, followed by equally dramatic plummets. If you've ever
experienced a "food coma" a few hours after a carb-heavy meal, you now
know why.

Building on this knowledge, Walter Willett, MD, professor at the
Harvard School of Public Health, and colleagues took the concept of
the GI and expanded it into something more practical: the glycemic
load (GL). Simply put, GL takes into account quality and quantity. It
is determined by both the GI of any given food, plus the amount of
available, or net, carbohydrates (fiber excluded) in a standard
serving.

The GL has revealed a few surprises: Some foods with a high GI
actually have minimal effects on blood sugar levels when eaten in
normal quantities, while others with a low GI are potentially
problematic. For example, a large carrot and a cup of spaghetti have
similar GIs. Yet that carrot contains only 5 grams of available carbs
(it's mostly water), while the spaghetti contains 38 grams, giving
them GLs of 2 and 16, respectively.

Therefore, they have dramatically different effects on blood sugar.
Carrots, watermelon, pineapple, and other fruits with a high GI once
thought to be inappropriate for those minding their glucose levels
turn out to be acceptable, while the GL confirms the need to go easy
on pasta, bagels, and other starchy, carbohydrate-dense foods.

To see a chart, please visit: http://www.mendosa.com/gilists.htm .

The Benefits of a Low GI/GL Diet
Hundreds of studies on the effects of a low GI or GL diet have been
conducted, most of them focused on diabetes. One typical study, a meta-
analysis of clinical trials involving more than 350 diabetic patients,
revealed that a low GL diet improved both long- and short-term
management of blood sugar levels. But eating low GL carbs has other
benefits as well.

A large, multi-year study by Harvard researchers found that overweight
women who ate a high GL diet were twice as likely to develop coronary
heart disease as their thinner counterparts who consumed low GI foods.
High GL diets are also linked to increased risk of diabetes,
gallbladder disease, and elevations in triglycerides, cholesterol, and
C-reactive protein (a marker of inflammation implicated in a number of
diseases). The GI/GL may also play a key role in weight loss. To date,
15 published studies demonstrate that when people eat foods with a low
GI, they feel full longer and end up eating less.

Lighten Your Load
Here at the clinic, we strive to lighten our patient's glycemic load.
Our chef, who prepares three meals a day for patients attending our
Back to Health Program, serves only low GL carbohydrates. That
includes lots of salads, green vegetables, beans, and legumes. We go
easy on breads, and for sweet treats we opt for fruit and occasional
desserts made with low GL natural sweeteners, such as stevia and
xylitol.

Of course, the glycemic load is not the only consideration in a
healthful diet. White sugar has a low GL, but that doesn't mean it's
good for anything. And don't let the GL lull you into overeating: You
still need to be mindful of calories and portion control. In addition
to healthy carbs, the Whitaker Wellness dietary program also includes
modest amounts of healthy fats and moderate portions of protein with
each meal. This aids in blood sugar control for our diabetic patients
and also helps with weight loss. A recent study conducted at the
University of Illinois confirmed that a protein-rich diet, in
conjunction with exercise, is more effective at reducing body fat than
a diet low in calories alone.

I've personally taken this research to heart: One of my favorite meals
is a hearty salad with a nice piece of salmon on top. It's an easy way
to get a tasty serving of healthy fats, plenty of protein, and lots of
low GL carbs.

References
Oh K, et al. Carbohydrate intake, glycemic index, glycemic load, and
dietary fiber in relation to risk of stroke in women. Am J Epidemiol.
2005 Jan 15;161(2):161-9.

http://www.mendosa.com/gilists.htm .

http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/foods/grains/gigl.html .

Reprinted from Dr. Julian Whitaker's Health & Healing with permission
from Healthy Directions, LLC. For information on subscribing to this
newsletter, visit http://www.drwhitaker.com or call (800) 539-8219.

Buzz up!vote now

About the author
Reprinted from Dr. Julian Whitaker's Health & Healing with permission
from Healthy Directions, LLC. For information on subscribing to this
newsletter, visit www.drwhitaker.com or call (800) 539-8219.
About the Author
Julian Whitaker, MD, is the author of Health & Healing, a monthly
newsletter that has reached millions of readers since 1991. He has
also written 13 books and hosts The Dr. Whitaker Show, a popular radio
program. In 1979, Dr. Whitaker founded the Whitaker Wellness
Institute. Today, it is the largest alternative medicine clinic in the
United States. To learn more, visit www.whitakerwellness.com or call
(800) 488-1500.

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