More on the Glycemic Load

[Guest guest]

http://www.health.harvard.edu/newsletters/giload.shtml

" Glycemic Load, Diet, and Health

Until recently, there was little question that the best approach to healthy

eating was to follow official guidelines -

such as the USDA Food Guide Pyramid - which emphasize carbohydrates as a way to

discourage fat consumption. But this

view of carbohydrates and fats is too simplistic. It might even contribute to

the very conditions that we hope to avoid

by eating a good diet in the first place, such as obesity, diabetes, and

cardiovascular disease.

For one, not all fats are bad. In fact, certain fats are heart-healthy. In

addition, not all carbohydrates act the same.

Some are quickly broken down in the intestine, causing the blood sugar level to

rise rapidly. Such carbohydrates have a

high glycemic index (GI).

Because rapidly rising blood sugar levels have various adverse effects, we

advise eating plenty of fruits and

non-starchy vegetables and few high-GI carbohydrates, such as refined grains and

starches. We also favor a food pyramid

where fruits and nonstarchy vegetables, not refined grains, occupy the bottom

tier.

The purpose of this advice is to reduce overall glycemic load (GL). GL is a

relatively new way to assess the impact of

carbohydrate consumption that takes GI into account but gives a fuller picture

than does GI alone. "

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For more information and some example GL's I suggest you read the article.

There seems to be more and more folks suggesting the USDA Food Guide Pyramid is

in need of adjustment.

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Good Health & Long Life,

Greg ,

http://www.ozemail.com.au/~gowatson

gowatson@...