Cut Your Glycemic Load

Robert W. Griffith, MD

The glycemic load is a term used to express the glycemic index of a food times its calorie content. It's valuable in helping to explain both the qualitative and the quantitative value of a food. And it has relevance in determining the risk of cardiovascular disease. A study from the Netherlands , reported in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, sheds some light.

A collective of 15,700 Dutchwomen aged 49 to 70, without diabetes or cardiovascular disease, had their food intake estimated by food frequency questionnaires for the previous year. They were then followed for an average of 9 years. There were 556 cases of coronary heart disease and 243 cases of stroke during this time. The subjects' calculated glycemic load was linked to their risk of cardiovascular disease, in such a way that the risk for cardiovascular disease in the 25% consuming the highest glycemic load was 1.47 times greater than in the 25% eating the lowest glycemic load. However, this association was "virtually absent in normal weight women", according to the authors of the study; the risk for the overweight or obese was 1.78 times greater. It should be noted that the total carbohydrates consumed were not relevant for changes in risk, i.e. the burden lies with the high glycemic index foods.

In simple terms, consuming higher glycemic index stuff increases the risk of MI and stroke if you are overweight. Now's the time to cut out the sodas, cornflakes, baked potatoes, and white bread.

Source
HealthandAge Blog

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