Glycemic Impact Vs. Belly Fat

High glycemic index foods, which lead to quick infusions of the sugar glucose into your bloodstream, have a known influence on the development of belly fat. Weight loss programs such as the GI Diet and South Beach are incorporate glycemic impact principles which target the reduction of high glycemic index foods in the attempt to eliminate belly fat and reduce overall obesiry.

The Glycemic Index

The glycemic index is a measure of the rate at which a particular food item influences the rise of glucose, or sugar, in your blood and spans a range of zero to 100. Foods that lead to a rapid rise in blood sugar will have a high glycemic index indicated by a number close to 100. High glycemic index foods are typically those that contain large amounts of refined, processed carbohydrates and simple sugars such as white flour, sugar and potatoes.

The Glycemic Load and Glycemic Impact

While the glycemic index is useful in describing the impact of individual food items on blood sugar elevation, the glycemic load provides a more clear indication of the impact of a full meal as it incorporates both the glycemic index of food items as well as the total amount of carbohydrates they contain. The glycemic load therefore is a more accurate indicator of the total glycemic impact that a food substance has on your blood sugar level.

Glycemic Load and Belly Fat

Following a high glycemic load meal, your level of circulating blood sugar, or glucose, rises rapidly. According to the study "High Glycemic Index Starch Promotes Hypersecretion of Insulin and Higher Body Fat in Rats without Affecting Insulin Sensitivity" published in The Journal of Nutrition, this rapid increase in blood sugar triggers the release of insulin from your pancreas which helps to remove the sugar from your blood. Insulin also triggers the synthesis of fat as the preferred mechanism for storing the sugar calories . Research has shown that abdominal fat levels are doubled in people eating a high-glycemic diet.

Glycemic Impact Diet

Glycemic impact diets eliminate most or all of highly refined carbohydrates and simple sugars from your diet, drastically reducing the glycemic load of your meals. The typical glycemic impact diet consists of approximately 40 percent complex carbohydrates including unrefined whole grain foods, 30 percent lean protein such as chicken, fish and soybean products, and 30 percent healthy fats which include olive oil, fish oils, and foods such as avocados.