The glycemic index ranks carbohydrate-containing foods on how they affect blood sugar. Foods with a low glycemic index cause only a small rise in blood sugar, while foods with a high glycemic index cause rapid rises in blood sugar. Eating a high glycemic index diet may have a number of health implications.
Obesity
The typical low-fat, high carbohydrate diet may not be as helpful in promoting weight loss as initially believed. Large intakes of high glycemic index carbohydrates increases blood sugar and insulin levels, according to an article published in the July 2002 edition of "The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition." These foods are rapidly digested, increasing your hunger and your desire to eat more. Another article in the same edition of the journal cites a study, which concludes that obese teenage boys who ate a high glycemic bowl of cereal for breakfast every morning scored higher on hunger scales and ate more throughout the day than the boys who didn't eat the cereal. A high-glycemic diet also prevents you from using your fat stores as a source of energy, as noted in the article. High glycemic diets also seem to lower your metabolism. All of these factors may explain why despite eating less fat, obesity rates have increased. Choosing to eat more low glycemic index foods, such as fruits and whole grains, may help decrease obesity rates.
Diabetes
A low glycemic diet is recommended as a means to help people with diabetes manage their blood sugar levels. Eating a high glycemic diet may increase your risk of developing diabetes. The rapid rise in blood sugar caused by high glycemic index foods increases the amount of insulin released by your pancreas. Constant high blood sugar levels overworks the cells responsible for releasing the insulin and they ultimately stop working, according to an article published in the March 2002 edition of "The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition." Without insulin, blood sugars remain elevated and a diagnosis of diabetes follows.
Increases Risk of Heart Disease
Chronic cellular inflammation has been linked to higher rates of heart disease. A high glycemic diet may exacerbate the inflammation and increase your risk. A study noted in the March 2002 edition of "The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition" investigated the effects of a high glycemic diet on C-reactive protein in middle-aged women. C-reactive protein measurement indicates degree of cellular inflammation and the study included 244 healthy women. A C-reactive protein level was obtained along with a food frequency to assess the glycemic content of the women's diets. The study showed a significant correlation between high C-reactive protein levels and a high glycemic diet. Eating a low-glycemic index diet may also decrease your risk of heart disease.
References
- The Glycemic Index: About
- "The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition"; Glycemic Index, Glycemic Load, and Risk of Type 2 Diabetes; W. Willet; July 2002
- "The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition"; Glycemic Index and Obesity; J.C. Brand-Miller; July 2002
- "The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition"; Relation Between a Diet With a High Glycemic Load and Plasma Concentrations of High-Sensitivity C-reactive Protein in Middle-Aged Women; S. Liu; March 2002
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