On Tue, 29 Aug 2000, Anthony wrote:

> Okay, this reminds me of something I read about fruit (sugar) on top of
> protein causing a fermentation process whereby the food sits longer in the
> stomach and slows digestion.  Any truth to this?  Oliva

I never heard this one.  If it were true, I'd expect to
experience plenty of gas, as a result of the fermentation.  But I
don't.

In the first Protein Power book, there is a chart describing
insulin responses to various macronutrient combinations, and the
biggest response is to carbs+fat, presumably plenty of both.  On
the other hand, Barry Sears claims that fat delays the absorption
of carbs.  Dividing carbs into two categories -- high-density
(tubers, fruits, berries) and low-density (most other vegetables)
-- we see that the Anchell diet uses high-density carbs
exclusively (although it excludes many of them, but that's
another matter), but in pretty small amounts of 1/2 to 3/4 cup.
The carbohydrate yield of these servings is usually between 7 and
15 grams, depending on which food you select.

So, I'm wondering if there's any reason why eating a small amount
of a high-density carb should help to control my appetite better
than a larger amount of a low-density carb.  This seems to be the
case for me, although some people obviously experience the
opposite effect.  I'm thinking that *maybe* the amount of
carbohydrate ingested is small enough not to cause a large
insulin reaction in conjunction with the protein and fat, and is
also absorbed slowly because of the fat in the meal, resulting in
a fairly long period of satiety.  Possibly the reason why this
doesn't work as well (for me) with low-density carbs is that the
carbohydrate absorption is *too* slow.  That is, the low glycemic
index, in conjunction with the delaying action of the fat (if
that is true) results in only a negligible change in blood sugar.

This is all conjecture; it would be nice to have some data.

But consider that nuts are notoriously easy to overeat.  Why
should that be?  Well, they have low glycemic index and plenty of
fat, with limited carbs.  Maybe we eat more and more of them
because the glycemic index is so low that we're not getting
enough of a blood glucose rise to trigger satiety.

Todd Moody
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