For “Higher-Health” Think “Lower Glycemic”
The holidays are rapidly approaching and with them the opportunity to consume lots of delicious food and drink at family gatherings and other social events. One way to help maintain a healthy lifestyle during the holidays is to eat foods with a “low-glycemic index”.
The glycemic index was first developed in 1981 (Medical Reference 1) as a new method of classifying foods based on the measurement of how dietary carbohydrates effect blood sugar responses after eating. “High-glycemic index” products, like white bread, have carbohydrates that are rapidly digested and absorbed, thus causing sharp increases in blood sugar levels. "Low-glycemic index”, products, like soy protein have carbohydrates that are slowly digested and absorbed, thus producing minimal rises in blood sugar and insulin levels. The glycemic index was later expanded to include the concept of “glycemic load”, which accounts for the amount of carbohydrates in a serving in order to better understand the impact of a meal or snack on blood sugars (Medical References 2, 3) and thus improve diet planning.
Why is the glycemic index or load of foods important? Scientific research suggests that high glycemic diets may increase the risk for cardiovascular disease (Medical References 4, 5) and type 2 diabetes (Medical References 6, 7). In contrast, low glycemic diets have been shown to improve blood sugar control (Medical References 8, 9), aid in weight loss (Medical References 10, 11), and reduce some cardiovascular disease risk factors (Medical References 12-14).
