The Glycemic Index And Dieting
By Protica Research, Thu Dec 8th

The field of nutrition is awash with charts, tables, diagrams,models, acronyms, and abbreviations; more than the averageperson can memorize. As such, one often comes across someone whohas simply burnt out trying to keep track of how much to eat,when to eat it, how to find the calories from fat, the RDI, theDV, and so on. There is an overkill of useful information withinthe nutrition field, and it can ironically provoke one to growweary and exhausted, tune out, and go grab a fast food burger.Yet every once in a while, a concept within the nutrition fieldemerges that truly demands attention. Over a decade ago, theUSDA’s “Food Pyramid” was one such concept because it helpedeaters discover how many gaps existed in their typical dailydiet. Now, as the Food Pyramid begins to take a new shape, andas the nutrition field works to establishes itself as the mostimportant branch of health care in the 21st century, aninvention called the Glycemic Index is taking center stage. TheGlycemic Index (GI) is not new; it has been around for more than2 decades. Yet until recently, its exposure beyond the world ofdiabetes has been limited [i]. The Glycemic Index indicates how“high” or “low” blood sugar levels change in response tocarbohydrate intake. A “high” Glycemic Index indicatescarbohydrates with a swift breakdown, whereas a “low” GlycemicIndex indicates carbohydrates with slow, gradual breakdown. Bothterms are of equal importance to diabetics, because there aretimes with high Glycemic Index foods are required, and timeswhere low Glycemic Index foods are required. Indeed, theGlycemic Index itself is not new, but its application far beyondthe borders of a diabetic dialogue is notable; especially fordieters. People striving to lose weight often face a nemesismuch tougher than establishing an exercise regimen orintroducing healthier foods into their diet. The problem is oneof energy. Many dieters are surprised – and disturbed – to learnthat their diet program is causing them to lose more than inchesand pounds: they are losing energy. This is often expressed as acomplaint, as in “I’m feeling weak”, or even “I can’t stayawake”. Many dieters and those advising them have erroneouslychalked this up to a matter of attitude, or will power, or somenon-biological cause. The plain truth is that many dieters havebeen oblivious to the Glycemic Index, and hence, to the factthat many of the diet foods they have eaten – or are eatingright now – score very high Glycemic Index levels. As such,these foods are providing a quick boost to blood sugar levels,and then setting up the dieter for the inevitable fall. This isbecause high GI foods typically increase blood sugar values,which in turn trigger the hormone insulin to clear sugar fromthe blood. Since blood sugar (a.k.a. glucose) largely dictatesthe body’s energy levels, it stands to reason that this processmanifests as an initial boost in energy, and then as a depletionof energy. This rise and fall of blood sugar – and energy – isoften described by dieters using a “roller-coaster” analogy: oneminute they feel confident and strong, and the next, they areabout to pass out and require some kind of stimulant in order tomake it through the day. Regrettably for many dieters, thatstimulant is usually more high Glycemic Index foods, such assugary snacks or soft drinks. It is easy to see how thisexperience can lead an individual to stop dieting. After all,before the diet, the individual was merely gaining weight. Onthe diet, the individual is gaining weight and is exhausted formost of the day. It is better to quit the diet. The abovescenario only takes place, however, when a dieter unwittinglyeats high Glycemic Index foods. Research has shown that lowGlycemic Index foods, which raise blood sugar levels much moregradually than high Glycemic Index foods, are very helpful

fordieters [ii]. This is because a dieter will experience less of a“roller-coaster” ride while on the diet, and furthermore, willbe less inclined to snack because energy in the form of bloodglucose is being released slowly and gradually. Low GlycemicIndex foods are much more efficient sources of energy than highGlycemic Index foods, because the body needs less insulin toconvert food into energy [iii]. Despite the growing awarenessthat low Glycemic Index foods are beneficial, the world of dietfoods has not kept pace. This is because many manufacturers aresearching frantically to find low Glycemic Index carbohydratessources for their products, and overlooking a basic, simplefact: the lowest possibly Glycemic Index is no carbohydrates atall. These zero-carbohydrate/zero sugar nutritional supplements– which are quite rare in the market – do not deliver any sugarto the bloodstream. As a result, dieters do not have to worryabout riding the “roller coaster” of energy spikes and pitfalls.Yet there is an even greater benefit for dieters who choose a‘zero sugar’ nutritional supplement. If that low Glycemic Indexnutritional supplement is rich in complete protein, then it willact as a sort of antidote to high GI foods by helping to combattheir adverse consequences. For example, a dieter who eats ahigh Glycemic Index candy car can mitigate the roller-coasterspike in blood sugar levels by eating a nutritional supplementthat has very low Glycemic Index and has a rich source ofcomplete protein. This is because the protein in the nutritionalsupplement mixes with the high Glycemic Index of the candy bar,and effectively lowers the overall Glycemic Index. This iswelcome news to dieters who would otherwise be seeing thoseextra carbohydrates transformed by insulin into triglycerides,and stored in adipose tissue; also known as body fat. Currently,only a handful of nutritional supplements are designed to offerzero carbohydrates and thus score as low as possible on theGlycemic Index. And of these zero-carbohydrate products, evenfewer offer a rich source of complete protein that effectivelyhelps counter the blood sugar spike impact of high GlycemicIndex foods. It is inspiring to note that Glycemic Index isgetting some well-deserved attention from outside the diabeticcommunity, where it has helped millions of people eat wisely.Now, dieters and obese people can enjoy the wisdom that thisindex promotes. ABOUT PROTICA Founded in 2001, Protica, Inc. isa nutritional research firm with offices in Lafayette Hill andConshohocken, Pennsylvania. Protica manufactures capsulizedfoods, including Profect, a compact, hypoallergenic,ready-to-drink protein beverage containing zero carbohydratesand zero fat. Information on Protica is available athttp://www.protica.com You can also learn about Profect athttp://www.profect.com Copyright - Protica Research -http://www.protica.com

REFERENCES

[i] Source: “The G.I. Diet: A Food Drill”. CBS News.http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/03/04/earlyshow/living/main604138.shtml [ii] Source: “The Glycemic Index”. The Healthy WeightForum.http://www.healthyweightforum.org/eng/articles/glycemic-index/[iii] Source “Glycemic Index”. WebMD.http://my.webmd.com/hw/health_guide_atoz/uq2846.asp

About the author:ABOUT PROTICA

Founded in 2001, Protica, Inc. is a nutritional research firmwith offices in Lafayette Hill and Conshohocken, Pennsylvania.Protica manufactures capsulized foods, including Profect, acompact, hypoallergenic, ready-to-drink protein beveragecontaining zero carbohydrates and zero fat. Information onProtica is available at http://www.protica.com

You can also learn about Profect at http://www.profect.com