Trying to determine what type of carbohydrates to eat when you're dieting can be a source of concern. Some diet plans advocate low carbs, some no carbs and some stress good carbs over bad carbs. The low glycemic index diet emphasizes choosing carbohydrates that score low on the so-called glycemic-index, meaning that they break down slowly after you eat them. Low GI carbohydrates result in a slower rise in your blood sugar levels.
Definition
On the low GI diet, foods are assigned a value based on a scale from 0 to 100. Glucose, the nutrient that breaks down most quickly after being consumed, is assigned a value of 100; all other carbohydrate-containing foods are compared to glucose. The lower the glycemic index, the better the food is to eat. Low GI foods are those rated as 55 or less, with medium GI foods assigned a value of 56 to 69.High GI food have a rating of 70 or more.
Actions
Choosing low GI foods over high GI foods helps you lose weight in several ways. First, low GI foods are often--but not always--lower in calories than high GI foods. Second, choosing low GI foods decreases insulin resistance. Insulin resistance occurs when cells no longer effectively absorb glucose, which they need for energy. The pancreas must produce more insulin to remove glucose from your blood. When extra insulin is produced, more glucose is taken up into cells and stored as fat, increasing weight. High GI foods also cause more rapid spikes in blood sugar, which also triggers release of extra insulin. Rapid rises in blood glucose also promote hunger, according to Joanna McMillan-Price, an Australian nutrition scientist and co-author of "The Low GI Diet."
Weight Loss
Following a low GI diet alone isn't necessarily enough to result in weight loss, registered dietitian Sandra Woodruff of Thagard Student Health Center at Florida State University explains. Some foods such as candy bars may be in the low to moderate range for GI, but this does not make them good choices for weight loss. The total number of calories and carbohydrates in your diet still need to be taken into account when eating a low GI diet if you want to lose weight. If you eat more calories than you need, even if you choose low GI foods, you'll gain weight.
Caveats
Not everyone agrees that a low GI eating plan is best for weight loss. An article published in the 2006 "International Journal of Obesity" by researchers from The Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University in Denmark stated that the low GI diet may cause more weight loss in subjects with high levels of insulin in their blood after meals than in people who have normal insulin levels. On the other hand, a University of Sydney July 2007 Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews found that in a total of six reviewed studies, people on low GI diets lost more weight and had better cholesterol levels than people following other types of diets, including higher GI diets.
References
- Thagard Student Health Center; Glycemic Index by Sandra Woodruff, M.S., R.D.
- Harvard School of Public Health: Carbohydrates: Good Carbs Guide the Way;
- Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews; Low glycaemic index or low glycaemic Load Diets for Overweight and Obesity; D. Thomas, et al.; July 2007
- "International Journal of Obesity;" Low Glycemic Index Diets and Body Weight; B. Sloth, et al.; 2006
- The GI Diet Guide: High, Medium and Low GI Foods
