A low glycemic diet encourages you to eat foods with a glycemic index number of 55 or less, according to the Harvard School of Public Health. The glycemic index ranks foods containing carbohydrates based on how high and how quickly they cause blood sugar levels to rise. Although you should not make all of your food choices based solely on the glycemic index -- candy bars for instance often rank low but a diet full of them is unhealthy -- following a low glycemic diet can provide many health benefits.
Control or Prevent Diabetes
The glycemic index was created in 1981 as a tool to help patients with diabetes control their blood sugar levels. Diabetes occurs when your body fails to make enough insulin or your cells become resistant to insulin which allows the level of glucose in the blood to rise. Because high glycemic foods cause rapid increases in blood sugar, patients with diabetes benefit from eating a low glycemic diet. In addition, eating a low glycemic diet can help prevent the onset of diabetes. When high glycemic foods trigger high glucose levels, the beta cells in the pancreas increase the production and secretion of insulin. Over time these cells become exhausted and insulin levels drop contributing to the onset of Type 2 diabetes.
Reduce Heart Disease Risks
Heart disease remains the No. 1 cause of death for both men and women in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. For this reason, doctors encourage patients of all ages to control their risk factors. High blood triglyceride levels are major risk factors for heart disease. High glycemic index foods cause spikes in blood glucose levels and whatever glucose the body cannot use for energy gets converted into triglycerides, a type of fat. Increased levels of triglycerides contribute to atherosclerosis, a condition characterized by the formation of plaques on the walls of blood vessels, which leads to heart disease. Eating a low glycemic diet can help reduce triglyceride levels and the risk for heart disease.
Improve Blood Cholesterol Levels
Cholesterol is a waxy fat-like substance that travels through the blood bound to specialized proteins known as lipoproteins. Low-density lipoprotein, known as LDL, binds the majority of cholesterol and keeps the cholesterol in the blood vessels. High-density lipoprotein, or HDL, binds to one-fourth to one-third of cholesterol and carries it to the liver where it gets broken down and excreted from the body, according to the American Heart Association. Because HDL helps to remove cholesterol from the blood vessels, doctors refer to it as the good cholesterol and encourage patients to increase their HDL levels. Consuming high glycemic foods causes HDL levels to decrease, according to the Linus Pauling Institute. A low glycemic diet boosts HDL levels and improves overall blood cholesterol levels.
Weight Loss
Although initially created as a tool, many diets are based on the glycemic index. High glycemic index foods cause glucose levels to spike rapidly, but the quick release of insulin causes them to fall just as quickly. The rapid decline in glucose levels triggers feelings of hunger leading to the consumption of more food and more calories. Following a low glycemic meal glucose levels rise slowly and steadily providing a feeling of fullness for a longer period of time. Low glycemic diets therefore help to lose weight and maintain a healthy weight.
References
- Harvard School of Public Health: Carbohydrates -- Good Carbs Guide the Way
- "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition": Glycemic Index, Glycemic Load, and Chronic Disease Risk; Barclay et. al.; March 2008
- Linus Pauling Institute: Glycemic Index and Glycemic Load; Victoria Drake; 2009
- MayoClinic.com: Triglycerides; June 2010
- American Heart Association: Cholesterol
