The Glycemic Index (GI) and Excess Weight and Obesity

Growing medical evidence suggests that excess weight and obesity greatly increase the risk of developing serious diseases. Knowing about the Glycemic Index (GI) is important because it can help reduce the risk of developing these conditions.

Up to 40% of cancers may be weight-related. Also linked to weight issues are all the various forms of Diabetes as well as a leading cause of infertility and menstrual irregularity called Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) and the cluster of increased risk factors for cardiovascular disease known as Metabolic Syndrome (Syndrome X).

Food breaks down into sugar or glucose in our digestive system at differing speeds to meet the body's need for energy. The Glycemic Index (GI) is a medical term for the various rates at which different food completes that process.

The GI rating of a food contributes greatly to health for a number of reasons:

- Low Glycemic Index foods tend to have more nutritional content than high GI, high-carbohydrate foods like non-whole grain bread, sausages and sweetened juice, which are usually processed, with the result that most of the original natural fiber and nutrients are stripped out. Conversely, low GI foods, like most vegetables, fruits, beans and pulses, remain in their natural state with nutritional benefits intact.

- Because low Glycemic Index foods break down more slowly in your digestive system, they leave you feeling more satisfied for a longer period of time. As a result, you're not so prone to hunger, which is important for losing weight and keeping it off. High GI foods, such as sugary breakfast cereals digest quickly and can leave you hungry by mid-morning and yearning for another sugar fix. On the other hand, breakfast porridge oats, which most people haven't eaten since they were a child, have a low GI rating because they digest slowly and can leave you feeling satisfied until lunchtime.

By indexing glucose at 100, foods are calculated against that figure. So cornflakes, for example, have a Glycemic Index of 72 because they digest quickly, whereas yogurt is GI-rated as 14 because it digests much more slowly. Any food rating less than 55 in the GI is regarded as low.

Examples of Glycemic Index (GI) Ratings

High GI		Low GI
Glucose/Sugar 100		Orange 44
Baguette 95		All Bran 43
Cornflakes 84		Oatmeal 42
Rice cakes 82		Spaghetti 41
Doughnut 76		Apple 38
Bagel 72		Yogurt 14

THE GLYCEMIC INDEX AND ITS IMPACT ON WEIGHT-RELATED HEALTH

Once it has formed sufficient mass, fat is an active, living part of your body. Excess abdominal fat is now regarded as a root cause of many diseases such as Metabolic Syndrome which greatly increases the chance of the onset of cardiovascular disease.

The risk factors of this condition range from abnormal cholesterol levels, resulting from too much artery-clogging LDL "bad" cholesterol, to high blood pressure and the imbalance of blood glucose and insulin called Insulin Resistance, which can also underlie Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) and both Pre-Diabetes and Type 2 Diabetes.

Food is, in effect, a drug which has a powerful impact on your health and general sense of well-being. Yet many individuals adopt an illogical approach to the health aspects of food.

Most people take a prescribed or non-prescription drug on the basis of the good it can do them, rather than its taste. But when it comes to food, many opt for taste rather than nutritional value, even though the right food can help maintain your health, extend your life span, give you more energy and help you sleep well.

Add a healthy, nutritional diet, which references the GI index, to regular exercise and you are doing pretty much all you can to lose or manage weight and keep fit and alert. The rest is down to genes and luck! But healthy living greatly improves your chance of enjoying a long, happy and fulfilled life.

The Glycemic Index and Pre-Diabetes and Type 2 Diabetes

A low GI diet can impact the health of people who are either at the reversible Pre-Diabetes stage or suffer from Type 2 Diabetes, which can only be managed for the rest of a person's life. Overweight people are more prone to both conditions but individuals of a healthy weight may also develop the disorders.

Pre-Diabetes is the condition that arises when blood sugar levels are higher than normal but not elevated enough for a diagnosis of Type 2 Diabetes. An underlying cause of Pre-Diabetes is the imbalance of blood glucose and insulin called Insulin Resistance, which can lead to excess weight and obesity. Insulin Resistance and weight gain be reversed by a healthy diet, which references the Glycemic Index, and regular exercise, resulting in blood and glucose level returning to normal and Pre-Diabetes disappearing.

Unfortunately, Type 2 Diabetes cannot be reversed. But the health and well-being of both Pre-and Type 2 Diabetics can be significantly improved by increased insulin sensitivity resulting from weight loss via a healthy diet combined with regular exercise.

Type 2 Diabetes used to occur predominantly in the over-40s. But more and more young people are developing the latter disease because obesity is spreading to every age group as a result of a "couch potato" lifestyle of bad diet and inactivity.

Control of blood-sugar is essential to the management of all forms of Diabetes. A low GI diet helps the management of blood sugar by preventing "spikes" in the amount of glucose and insulin in your bloodstream, thereby helping to keep it within a healthy range.

One of the benefits of stable blood sugar levels and reduction of dependence on insulin to control those levels is a lowering of the risk of a Diabetic developing ghastly complications such as blindness, kidney disease and the need for amputation.The right kind of GI diet can help a Diabetic to avoid these disorders.

The Glycemic Index and Heart Disease and Stroke

Although heart disease is primarily a condition of old age, nearly half of those who suffer heart attacks are under the age of 65. Many victims of both sexes are overweight. But people of healthy weight are also vulnerable.

The simple if brutal fact is that the more overweight you are, the more likely it is that you will suffer a heart attack or stroke. The two key factors that link those latter severe illnesses are high blood pressure (hypertension) and blood cholesterol, both of which are affected by low GI diets that can help prevent artery damage.

High blood pressure, which is the early warning sign for both heart disease and stroke, places extra stress on the arterial system. That extra pressure causes arteries and veins to age and deteriorate more rapidly, leading ultimately to damaged arteries and blood clots stemming from cholesterol clogging those arteries. Excess weight and obesity have a major bearing on high blood pressure.

Having a certain degree of cholesterol is vital to the correct functioning of your body's metabolism.

But high levels of LDL or "bad" cholesterol are a key ingredient in the creation of plaque than can build up in arteries, eventually cutting off blood supply either to the heart - causing a heart attack - or to the brain - leading to a stroke. On the other hand, HDL or "good" cholesterol can remove plaque from the blood. So the idea is to boost your body's HDL level while lowering the LDL content.

The villain that raises LDL levels is saturated fats, which come from animal sources and are easily recognizable because they are solid at room temperatures like butter. cheese and fat on meat. Also to be avoided are the hydrogenated or trans-fats variety, which consist of vegetable oils that have been heat-treated to make them thicken at room temperature. They are frequently found in junk food like french fries and snacks.

Conversely, polyunsaturated fat and monounsaturated fats not only lower LDL levels but also actually boost HDL. The healthiest choice is food high in monounsaturated fats such rapeseed and olive oil. It's why people who live around the Mediterranean, where olive oil is a staple of the diet, have lower rates of heart disease than the U.S.

So some fat is good for you and, indeed, essential. But make sure it's the right kind and referenced to a healthy GI diet.

The Glycemic Index and Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS)

The imbalance of blood glucose and insulin called Insulin Resistance is often an underlying cause of obesity, which can stem, in part, from a high GI diet. Both conditions are closely associated with PCOS, which causes menstrual irregularity and infertility, together with skin conditions like acne, brown patches and skin tags as well as excess facial and body hair, female baldness and reduced sex drive.

Regular exercise and a balanced, nutritious diet with reference to low GI ratings can, however, help to reverse inter-related weight gain, Insulin Resistance and PCOS.

The Glycemic Index and Cancer

Evidence is growing almost by the month that weight and diet are critical factors in the development of many forms of cancer. Diets high in saturated animal fats are being increasingly linked with increased risk of breast, uterine, colon and prostate cancers.

Breast cancer death rates among obese post-menopausal women, for example, are as much as 50% higher than for women of normal weight, while obese men are twice as likely to develop colon cancer as men of normal weight. Overweight men are also at greatly increased risk of prostate cancer.

Researchers have recommended that one way to reduce the risk of cancer is to choose a diet that includes a variety of vegetables, fruits and whole grains - the low GI diet in a nutshell - even though you need to be aware that some fruits can have a higher GI rating than others. Orange, which has a high sugar content, is 44, for example, while grapefruit is 25.

A basic low GI rule is eat the fruit, rather than drink the packaged or bottled juice because whole fruit has fewer calories and more fibre and nutrition than processed juice.

The Glycemic Index and Alzheimer's Disease

There is an increasing body of research that links the decline in cognitive ability called Alzheimer's Disease to an unhealthy diet leading to excess weight and obesity. A clear association is forming between obesity brought on by high saturated fat intake interfering with blood flow to the brain, resulting in the onset of Alzheimer's. Salt, alcohol and high GI carbohydrates are also thought to be linked with the condition.

But the news is not all gloomy. Losing weight and keeping it off via regular exercise and a balanced, nutritious diet rich in deep sea fish, i.e. the oily variety such as salmon, can significantly lower the risk of developing Alzheimer's. Scientists also recommend that people keep their brain engaged with activities like reading, doing crossword puzzles and playing chess.

Fish raised in cold oceans, as opposed to the farmed variety, have high contents of omega-3 essential fatty oils and vitamin E, which are thought to help stave off Alzheimer's and other dementia conditions.

The Glycemic Index and Arthritis

Even arthritis, and especially osteoarthritis, appears to be directly linked to an unhealthy diet.

Firstly, excess weight puts a severe strain on joints, especially the weight-bearing variety. If you are obese, your knees, hips or ankles might be taking an extra 50-60 lb. impact each time your foot hits the ground. To get an idea of what that means, try lifting a 50 lb. weight!

Secondly, research suggests that eating a diet rich in fruit, vegetables, oily fish, nuts, seeds, pulses and whole grains is associated with a reduction in the pain, inflammation and general discomfort associated with arthritis.

Once again, those recommended foods are the low GI diet in a nutshell!

A GUIDE TO GLYCEMIC INDEX RATINGS FOR DIFFERENT FOOD GROUPS
Breakfast Cereals Pancakes 67 Waffles 76 All Bran with Fiber 38 Bran Buds 47 Oatmeal 49 Muesli 43 Oat Bran 55 Bran Chex 58 Raisin Bran 61 Cream of Wheat 66 Quick (One Minute) Oats 66 Puffed Wheat 67 Special K 69 Bran Flakes 74 Cheerios 74 Cream of Wheat Instant 74 Shredded Wheat 75 Grapenuts 71 Rice Krispies 82 Corn Chex 83 Corn Flakes 92   Fruits Cherries 22 Grapefruit 25 Prunes 29 Apricots, dried 30 Apple 38 Peach, canned in juice 38 Pear, fresh 38 Plum 39 Strawberries 40 Orange, Navel 42 Peach, fresh 42 Pear, canned 43 Grapes 46 Papaya 56 Banana 52 Kiwi 58 Fruit Cocktail 55 Mango 51 Apricots, fresh 57 Figs, dried 61 Apricots, canned 64 Raisins 56 Cantaloupe 65 Pineapple, fresh 66 Watermelon 72 Dates 103   Crackers Ryvita Crispbread 69 Stoned Wheat Thins 67 Melba Toast 70 Kavli Crispbread 71 Soda Crackers 74 Graham Crackers 74 Water Crackers 78 Rice Cakes 82 Rice Crackers 91   Sweeteners Fructose 19 Marmalade 48 Honey 55 Jams 65 Sucrose 68 Pancake Syrup 76   Pasta Spaghetti, whole wheat 37 Star Pastina 38 Fettuccini (egg) 32 Spaghetti, white 38 Spiral Pasta 43 Capellini 45 Linguine 46 Macaroni 47 Rice vermicelli 58   Dairy Foods Yogurt, artificially sweetened 14 Skim milk 32 Yogurt, sweetened 33 Whole milk 31 Ice cream, low fat 43 Ice cream, premium 38   Snacks Hummus 6 Peanuts 15 Walnuts 15 Cashews 22 M & M Peanut Candies 33 Milk Chocolate 43 Kudos Bar 62 Corn Chips 63 Popcorn 72 Jelly Beans 78 Pretzels 83 Potato Chips 54				Juices Tomato 38 Apple 40 Pineapple 46 Grapefruit 48 Orange 53 Cranberry Juice Cocktail 68   Breads Pumpernickel 41 Sourdough 53 Stone Ground whole wheat 53 Pita, whole wheat 57 Whole Meal Rye 58 Hamburger bun 61 Whole wheat (100%) 77 Croissant 67 Taco Shell 68 Bagel 72 White 70 Kaiser roll 73 Bread stuffing 74 French Baguette 95   Potato Yam 37 Sweet 44 New 57 Canned 65 White skinned mashed 70 French Fries 75 Instant Mashed 86 Red Skinned, boiled 88 Baked 85   Bakery Sponge Cake 46 Pound Cake 54 Blueberry Muffin 59 Pastry Pie Crust 59 Bran Muffin 60 Carrot Muffin 62 Angel Food Cake 67 Doughnut 76 Scones 92   Cookies Chocolate Chip 44 Butter 47 Vanilla Crème Filled Wafers 50 Oatmeal 55 Fudge 57 Shortbread 64   Soups Tomato 38 Minestrone 39 Lentil 44 Black Bean 64 Pea 66   Meals Fish Stick Fingers 38 Meat Ravioli 39 Cheese Tortellini 50 Pizza 60 Macaroni and Cheese (packaged) 64   Beans and Peas Chana Dal 8 Chickpeas, dried 28 Kidney Beans, dried 28 Lentils 29 Lima Beans (frozen) 32 Yellow Split Peas 32 Chickpeas, canned 42 Blackeyed Peas, canned 42 Baked Beans 48 Kidney Beans, canned 52   Vegetables Broccoli 10 Cabbage 10 Lettuce 10 Mushrooms 10 Onions 10 Red Peppers 10 Carrots 49 Green peas 48 Corn, fresh 60 Beets 64 Pumpkin 75 Parsnips 97

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