>Another factor to consider is glycemic index: the rate at which
>carbohydrates cause blood glucose levels to rise. The lower the
>glycemic index of a food, the less likely it is to cause a surge
>in blood glucose, causing a surge of insulin to control it.
>Fructose has a lower glycemic index than sucrose. Fiber also
>lowers the glycemic index by causing to body to take longer to
>get to the digestible carbohydrate.
>
>The glycemic index of white bread is about equal to that of table
>sugar, although white bread is a complex carbohydrate. Rice
>cakes have an even higher glycemic index. Potatoes are also
>quite high. Popcorn, even no-fat air-popped stuff, is amazingly
>high glycemic.
>
>Whole what products would be preferable to refined, because the
>fiber lowers the glycemic index. Of course the fiber also
>interferes with mineral absorption.
>
But the glycemic index of modern fruits would be quite high. Grapes have
glucose and I'm sure would approach or surpass starch in glycemic index.
In Neanderthin the breakfasts often start with fruit juice. I don't know
the glycemic index of fruit juice, but I would imagine it is very high,
with no moderating fiber. If you get nearly half your calories from these
foods, I don't see any benefit in the insulin--blood sugar system.
Now in a true Paleolithic diet, assuming about 45% of calories come from
carbohydrates like modern hunter/gatherers, the fiber content would have
been 10 times the content of most Americans. In fact, eating modern
fruits, vegetables, and other modern food products, I don't think it's
possible to eat 150 g of fiber, without going way over the normal calorie
intake. So to approach a true Paleodiet, we need to take supplements for
fiber. Especially soluble fiber, which is really rare in today's food.
I am taking a fiber supplement now and without changing my diet, in 4
weeks my cholesterol has dropped 50 points, my HDL and LDL are in normal
range for the first time ever, my triglycerides decreased, blood sugar went
from 180 to 114 (and that's while eating lots of processed wheat flour and
sugar) and my blood pressure has improved. The only time before that my
cholesterol has ever been below 200 was when I was eating only brown rice,
beans, steamed vegetables, and fresh fruits. But my LDL HDL were bad and
my triglycerides went sky high, and who knows what my blood sugar was!
In Neanderthin and in general the low carb diets there is so much emphasis
on getting the carbohydrate:protein:fat ratios within what our ancestors my
have had, but I think fiber has been *relatively* forgotten. And there is
a lot to know about fiber, most of which I don't know. But not every fiber
product will be effective. Mine is Bios Life from Rexall. In recent
studies fiber was shown to be effective in reducing heart disease by 41%,
without any change in diet, lifestyle, or any other contributing factor!
Clearly we need to be getting enough fiber. The amount that is being
recommended is 30 to 40 grams, with a high percentage of soluble fiber.
What could happen if we were taking the Hunter/Gatherer average of 100 to
150g of fiber?
Paul Getty
Morehead City, NC
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