Studies conducted at the New Balance Foundation Obesity Prevention Center of Boston Children’s Hospital on three popular diets reveal some surprising results.Assigning each of the dieters, in random order, to follow four weeks each of three diets with the same number of calories:
One was a standard low-fat diet - another was an ultra-low-carb diet - and the third was a low glycemic diet.
The results were impressive. Those on the low carb diet burned 350 calories more per day — the equivalent of an hour of moderate exercise — than those on the standard low-fat diet. Those on the low-glycemic diet burned 150 calories more, roughly equivalent to an hour of light exercise.
The long-term downsides, in practice, people have trouble sticking to low-carb diets.
Over the long term, the low-glycemic diet appears to work the best, because you don’t have to eliminate an entire class of nutrients, which our research suggests is not only hard from a psychological perspective but may be wrong from a biological perspective.”
You might need a little background here: To differentiate “bad” carbs from “good,” scientists use the term “glycemic index” (or “load”) to express the effect of the carbs on blood sugar. High glycemic diets cause problems by dramatically increasing blood sugar and insulin after meals; low glycemic diets don’t.
Highly processed carbohydrates (even highly processed whole grains, like instant oatmeal and fluffy whole-grain breads) tend to make for higher glycemic diets; less processed grains, fruits, non-starchy vegetables, legumes and nuts — along with fat and protein — make for a lower glycemic diet. Read full article New York Times
Work with insulin resistance which led David J. Jenkins to develop the glycemic index in the early 1980s. When sugar enters the bloodstream, the pancreas secretes insulin which triggers cells to absorb the sugar. Many years of introducing quick bursts of sugar would eventually result in cells becoming resistant to insulin. This resistance would leave sugar in the bloodstream longer which would then cause the pancreas to release even more insulin.
This excess insulin would eventually drive blood sugar below normal levels. Jenkins (and others) discovered that, in addition to potentially causing diabetes, this effect would also produce cycles of hunger. Excess sugar consumption led to excess insulin which led to low blood sugar which led to hunger pangs which led to the consumption of more sugar.
Here is a Kindle ebook I found explaining the glycemic index and glycemic load fully:
The Low Glycemic Diet: Maintain consistent glucose Levels for more energy, weight loss, and better overall health (Healthy and Fit)
Work with insulin resistance which led David J. Jenkins to develop the glycemic index in the early 1980s. When sugar enters the bloodstream, the pancreas secretes insulin which triggers cells to absorb the sugar. Many years of introducing quick bursts of sugar would eventually result in cells becoming resistant to insulin. This resistance would leave sugar in the bloodstream longer which would then cause the pancreas to release even more insulin.
This excess insulin would eventually drive blood sugar below normal levels. Jenkins (and others) discovered that, in addition to potentially causing diabetes, this effect would also produce cycles of hunger. Excess sugar consumption led to excess insulin which led to low blood sugar which led to hunger pangs which led to the consumption of more sugar.
Here is a Kindle ebook I found explaining the glycemic index and glycemic load fully:
The Low Glycemic Diet: Maintain consistent glucose Levels for more energy, weight loss, and better overall health (Healthy and Fit)
