LakeMountD
Doctor Science
Thought you guys might enjoy these. Thankfully I type pretty fast so I typed up some of the more interesting sections. Check it out.
Quotes from “The New Glucose Revolution"
The Effect of Fiber on the Glycemic Index
The effect of fiber on the GI value of a food depends on the type o fiber and its viscosity. Finely ground wheat fiber, such as in whole wheat bread, has no effect whatsoever on the rate of starch digestion and subsequent blood-glucose response. Similarly, any product made with whole-wheat flour will have a GI value of similar to that of its white counterpart. Breakfast cereals made with whole heat flours will also tend to have high GI values, unless there are other confounding factors. Puffed Wheat (GI value of 80), which is made from well-cooked whole-wheat grains, ahs a high GI value, despite its high fiber content. If the fiber is still intact it can act as a physical barrier to digestion, and then the GI value will be lower. This is one of the reasons why All-Bran has a low GI value. It is also one of the reasons why whole intact grains usually have low GI values. Viscous fiber thickens the mixture of food entering the digestive tract. This slows the passage of food and restricts the movement of enzymes, thereby slowing digestion. The end result is a lower blood glucose response. Legumes contain high levels of viscous fiber, as do oats and psyllium.
The Effect of Acid on the Glycemic Index
Within the last few years, several reports in the scientific literature have indicated that a realistic amount of vinegar or lemon juice in the form of a salad dressing consumed with a mixed meal has a significant blood glucose lowering effects. As little as 4 teaspoons of vinegar (with 2 teaspoons of oil) in a vinaigrette dressing taken with an average meal lowered blood glucose by as much as 30 percent. These findings have important implications for people with diabetes or individuals at risk of diabetes, coronary heart disease, or the metabolic syndrome….Sourdough breads, in which lactic acid and propionic acid are produced by the natural fermentation of starch and sugars by the years starter culture, also can reduce levels of blood glucose and insulin by 22 percent compared to normal bread.
The Effect of Sugar on the Glycemic Index
Table sugar or refined sugar (sucrose) has a GI value of only 60-65. This is because it is a disaccharide composed of one glucose molecule coupled to one fructose molecule. Fructose is absorbed and taken directly to the liver where it is immediately oxidized (burned for energy). The blood glucose response to the pure fructose is very small (GI value of 19). Consequently, when we consume sucrose, only half of what we’ve eaten is actually glucose; the other half is fructose. This explains why the blood-glucose response to 50 grams of sucrose is approximately half that of 50 grams of corn syrup or maltodextrins.
What is the effect of extra protein and fat on the glycemic index and blood-glucose response?
Eaten alone, protein and fat have little effect on blood-glucose levels. So a steak or a piece of cheese won’t produce a rise in blood glucose. It’s the carbohydrates in foods that are primarily responsible for the rise and fall in glucose after meals. Adding fat and protein to a meal doesn’t affect the nature of the carbohydrate and thus does not affect its GI value. But that’s not to say that protein and fat won’t affect the blood-glucose response when eaten together with carbohydrate. Both tend to cause a delay in stomach emptying, thereby slowing the rate at which carbohydrate can be digested and absorbed. So a high-fat meal will have a lower glycemic effect than a low-fat meal, even if they both contain the same amount and type of carbohydrate. However, you can still count on the fact that a high-GI carbohydrate food will produce a higher response than a low GI food, even if there’s extra fat and protein added to the meal.
I’ve read that dairy products cause an increase in insulin secretion. Their GI value is around 30-50 but their insulin index is three times higher.
Scientists don’t know the reason why dairy products do this. Our guess is that milk proteins are “insulinogenic� because they are meant to stimulate the growth of young mammals. Insulin is an anabolic hormone designed to drive nutrients into cells—not just glucose but also fatty acids and amino acids, the building blocks of new tissue. Milk may contain a unique combination of amino acids that together are more insulin stimulating than any alone. This disparity between glucose and insulin response is not unique to dairy products. We’ve found that certain sweets and baked products also do this. Chocolate may also contain insulinogenic amino acids.
A Recent Study
…One recent study from the Netherlands gave support to a moderate increase in protein (from 15 to 25 percent) and a moderate decrease in carbohydrate (from 55 to 45 percent). Fat intake was the same in both the control group and the high protein group—30 percent of energy. Volunteers in the study were permitted to eat as much food as they wished but all were trying to lose weight. At the end of the twelve-week study, both weight loss and body-fat loss were greater on the high protein diet. The investigators suggested that the higher protein intake had increased the metabolic rate and also increased satiety. It is well known that protein stimulates more thermogenesis (heat production) than any other nutrient and is also the most satiating nutrient. There was no advice about the glycemic index on either diet.
Quotes from “The New Glucose Revolution"
The Effect of Fiber on the Glycemic Index
The effect of fiber on the GI value of a food depends on the type o fiber and its viscosity. Finely ground wheat fiber, such as in whole wheat bread, has no effect whatsoever on the rate of starch digestion and subsequent blood-glucose response. Similarly, any product made with whole-wheat flour will have a GI value of similar to that of its white counterpart. Breakfast cereals made with whole heat flours will also tend to have high GI values, unless there are other confounding factors. Puffed Wheat (GI value of 80), which is made from well-cooked whole-wheat grains, ahs a high GI value, despite its high fiber content. If the fiber is still intact it can act as a physical barrier to digestion, and then the GI value will be lower. This is one of the reasons why All-Bran has a low GI value. It is also one of the reasons why whole intact grains usually have low GI values. Viscous fiber thickens the mixture of food entering the digestive tract. This slows the passage of food and restricts the movement of enzymes, thereby slowing digestion. The end result is a lower blood glucose response. Legumes contain high levels of viscous fiber, as do oats and psyllium.
The Effect of Acid on the Glycemic Index
Within the last few years, several reports in the scientific literature have indicated that a realistic amount of vinegar or lemon juice in the form of a salad dressing consumed with a mixed meal has a significant blood glucose lowering effects. As little as 4 teaspoons of vinegar (with 2 teaspoons of oil) in a vinaigrette dressing taken with an average meal lowered blood glucose by as much as 30 percent. These findings have important implications for people with diabetes or individuals at risk of diabetes, coronary heart disease, or the metabolic syndrome….Sourdough breads, in which lactic acid and propionic acid are produced by the natural fermentation of starch and sugars by the years starter culture, also can reduce levels of blood glucose and insulin by 22 percent compared to normal bread.
The Effect of Sugar on the Glycemic Index
Table sugar or refined sugar (sucrose) has a GI value of only 60-65. This is because it is a disaccharide composed of one glucose molecule coupled to one fructose molecule. Fructose is absorbed and taken directly to the liver where it is immediately oxidized (burned for energy). The blood glucose response to the pure fructose is very small (GI value of 19). Consequently, when we consume sucrose, only half of what we’ve eaten is actually glucose; the other half is fructose. This explains why the blood-glucose response to 50 grams of sucrose is approximately half that of 50 grams of corn syrup or maltodextrins.
What is the effect of extra protein and fat on the glycemic index and blood-glucose response?
Eaten alone, protein and fat have little effect on blood-glucose levels. So a steak or a piece of cheese won’t produce a rise in blood glucose. It’s the carbohydrates in foods that are primarily responsible for the rise and fall in glucose after meals. Adding fat and protein to a meal doesn’t affect the nature of the carbohydrate and thus does not affect its GI value. But that’s not to say that protein and fat won’t affect the blood-glucose response when eaten together with carbohydrate. Both tend to cause a delay in stomach emptying, thereby slowing the rate at which carbohydrate can be digested and absorbed. So a high-fat meal will have a lower glycemic effect than a low-fat meal, even if they both contain the same amount and type of carbohydrate. However, you can still count on the fact that a high-GI carbohydrate food will produce a higher response than a low GI food, even if there’s extra fat and protein added to the meal.
I’ve read that dairy products cause an increase in insulin secretion. Their GI value is around 30-50 but their insulin index is three times higher.
Scientists don’t know the reason why dairy products do this. Our guess is that milk proteins are “insulinogenic� because they are meant to stimulate the growth of young mammals. Insulin is an anabolic hormone designed to drive nutrients into cells—not just glucose but also fatty acids and amino acids, the building blocks of new tissue. Milk may contain a unique combination of amino acids that together are more insulin stimulating than any alone. This disparity between glucose and insulin response is not unique to dairy products. We’ve found that certain sweets and baked products also do this. Chocolate may also contain insulinogenic amino acids.
A Recent Study
…One recent study from the Netherlands gave support to a moderate increase in protein (from 15 to 25 percent) and a moderate decrease in carbohydrate (from 55 to 45 percent). Fat intake was the same in both the control group and the high protein group—30 percent of energy. Volunteers in the study were permitted to eat as much food as they wished but all were trying to lose weight. At the end of the twelve-week study, both weight loss and body-fat loss were greater on the high protein diet. The investigators suggested that the higher protein intake had increased the metabolic rate and also increased satiety. It is well known that protein stimulates more thermogenesis (heat production) than any other nutrient and is also the most satiating nutrient. There was no advice about the glycemic index on either diet.
