On Tue, 20 Mar 2001 09:56:00 -0500 Todd Moody wrote:
>

> However, the diets studied were 47% of energy from carbohydrate.
> How significant would this effect be in a diet at a significantly
> lower carb intake level?

Much depends on what kind of carbohydrate or protein is ingested.   Carbs
with low insulin requirements (e.g. legumes) may ultimately produce a lower
insulin level than proteins that stimulate insulin release.

People have been a bit mislead by the glycemic index, in that this index
only looks at how the food affects blood sugar levels, not insulin levels.
Since proteins only very slowly convert to sugar, they have low glycmic
indexes.  However, this does not mean that they do not stimulate insulin
release.    Insulin is release not only in response to blood sugar levels,
but also in response to essential amino acid levels  (insulin ushers amino
acids into cells).   Some proteins--namely, those richest in essential amino
acids--stimulate more insulin release than others.  Some experts are now
looking more at insulin-releasing effects of foods, rather than glycemic
index.

Don