Dieting and weight management has taken a new direction.  Research from several biochemists and doctors in Canada, Australia, France and the United States show something amazing. Some foods we all thought were part of a diet regimen actually enhance fat storage.

Take potatoes, rice, carrots and corn for instance.  Research has shown these to be fat enhancers.

This newest research is based on  the glycemic index, a way of rating carbohydrates based on how that food effects our blood sugar (glucose) levels.  An analogy would be that of a reservoir (our blood stream) and a pipe allowing water flow (glucose) into that reservoir.  The size of the pipe (the glycemic index) determines the water flow rate into the reservoir.  Our body tries to keep the blood glucose levels even.  When our levels fluctuate the pancreas produces insulin to bring our blood glucose levels back down.  The primary purpose of insulin is to store glucose in the muscles, liver and other tissues.  If those glycogen stores are not used up quickly, they are converted to fat.  If the pancreas is over-stimulated by  these fluctuations over some period of time, Type II diabetes can occur.

We know that Type II diabetes is reaching epidemic proportions in our country.   It stands to reason when we consume more and more "fast food" and our pantries are filled with processed  foods that we are not eating healthy foods.  Obesity has doubled in the United States since the 1970's.  Some scientists say it has to do with the promotion of the USDA Food Pyramid as a healthy way of eating.  That pyramid has bread, cereal, rice and pasta as the largest food group and it advocates that we eat 6-11 servings of those a day.  The glycemic index research has found that eating that way is causing our blood sugar to skyrocket.

The glycemic index of foods is determined by comparing a test subject's blood sugar response of certain foods to their response to 50 grams of  either white bread or pure glucose.   For the next two hours after eating, a blood sample is taken every 15 minutes for the first hour and every 30 minutes after.  The reference food is tested on two or three separate occasions with 8-10 test subjects and those tests are averaged to find the glycemic index of that particular food.  Foods are tested individually .Only approximately 700 foods have been tested to date, and the most comprehensive testing is coming out of Australia.

Surprisingly some foods we think of as "diet" foods are quite high on the glycemic index. For example, rice cakes, which have been recommended by many diet plans is one the highest foods on that index.  The more processed a food is the higher the glycemic index, so those carbohydrates listed as the foundation of the food pyramid are not necessarily bad.  According to the latest research, what does matter is how highly processed that food is.  White bread is 100 on the glycemic index, while Ezekial bread (made only with sprouted grains) is well within the limits to maintain a steady state of blood sugar.  Stone ground, whole grain pastas are also in the lower range.  The glycemic index of rice is dependent on how long the grain of rice is and the amylose content of that rice.    In cereals, it is the type of grain, how much it has been processed and what other ingredients (ie.,  sugars) are in that cereal that determine its glycemic index.

Foods that are carbohydrates and therefore can be indexed are grains, vegetables, fruits, nuts and legumes, peas and beans.  Milk contains carbohydrate in the form of milk sugar or lactose.  Recommendations have been that we should take at least 50 to 60 percent of our total calories as carbohydrate.  However,  the latest research shows that a lower percentage of carbohydrates chosen from the lower side of the glycemic index is much more healthy.

The whole concept of simple and complex carbohydrates has  been proven to be a myth.  Starchy foods were defined as complex carbohydrates.  They were thought to break down slowly in the digestive system, therefore making us feel fuller for a longer period of time and causing only a small raise in blood sugar.  The opposite has been proven to be true.  The foods we have defined as complex carbohydrates actually are easily and quickly digested and absorbed, causing a rapid rise in blood sugar. On the other hand, moderate amounts of sugary foods do not elevate blood sugar nearly as dramaticly as had been thought.  The original distinctions were based on the chemical analysis of  various carbohydrates, and now, with the actually testing of volunteers, the facts are proving to be different than the assumptions.

Research into the glycemic index is continuing, as is research into the other components of weight management, such as fat and protein consumption.  Many myths are being exposed and decades-old beliefs are being proven wrong.  The glycemic index  is a wonderful tool to aid in losing or gaining weight.  Diabetics should be aware of this index, since it is directly related to their condition and is being used by some diabetics to control their diabitis without drugs.  Other research into other aspects of our diet are also showing surprising results.  For example, certain types of fat aid in losing weight.  Our information age is exposing all of this  research to the public much faster, to our benefit.  Watch for further weight management research articles coming up in future issues.

Lou Anne Person, ASID, is co-author of a book, The DO IT! (a guide to do-iting, not dieting) and leads the DO IT! Health and Weight Management program.  For further information about the glycemic index call 566-3648.)