Thought some of you might like this. I find NNF's daily bulletin often
useful- it seems very authoritative and is non-commercial.
Ben
November 26, 1999
NUTRITION NEWS FOCUS
"Nutrition news is important.  We help you understand it!"

Today's Topic: The Glycemic Index

The glycemic index is a measure of how much glucose circulates in the
blood over several hours after a standard amount of a single food is
eaten: this is then expressed as a percentage compared with a
standard reference food.  The standard is either 50 grams of glucose
or 100 grams of white bread.  Very different numbers can be derived
using the different reference foods.  High glycemic index foods
include instant rice, white potatoes, and corn flakes: low glycemic
index foods are apples, milk, and beans.

The glycemic index is very popular in books on weight loss even
though there is little evidence that foods with a low glycemic index
cause weight loss.  The glycemic index can be influenced by the
amount of fiber and carbohydrate but also by fat.  Ice cream has a
relatively low glycemic index because of the fat, which slows
emptying from the stomach.

HERE'S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: The glycemic index was
developed for helping diabetics choose foods that would not cause
big swings in blood glucose levels.  The type of starch, particle
size, maturation of a fruit or vegetable, cooking time, and many
other factors affect the glycemic index.  Only knowledge of many
variables makes the glycemic index useful for those who need to
control their blood sugar.


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Copyright 1999 Nutrition News Focus Inc.

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