January 28, 2020 — Editorial Note: After this post was published, we learned from sharp-eyed scientists that the analysis in the study referenced below suffers from a Difference in Nominal Significance error. For more on this issue with this study, we refer you to this explanation of the problem, which includes links to other publications about this issue. To […]
January 14, 2020 — In the midst of popular frenzy about low carb diets, substantial evidence suggests a shift in focus to us. Research is suggesting that slow carbs might be a very good option. Soluble fiber slows the digestion of carbohydrates. It gives food a lower glycemic index, meaning that it produces less of a spike in blood […]
September 6, 2019 — Potatoes are good carbs, but they are carb rich. A typical medium potato (150g/5oz) has around 20g carbohydrate. Most also have a high GI (averaging around 77). But there’s no need to say no to potatoes if you are managing blood glucose levels. You can reduce their glycemic load by choosing spuds with around 25% […]
June 7, 2019 — It’s been a wild ride. Almost 40 years ago, David Jenkins published the first paper to propose that the glycemic index of foods might be an important measure of nutrition quality. Back then, dietary guidance pointed to a low-fat panacea. Research continued quietly on the glycemic index. The pendulum swung from fear of fats to […]
November 27, 2018 — It’s an old and misleading cliché. Obesity is [supposedly] all about calories in and calories out. But of course, different foods have different physiologic effects. And not all calories are absorbed in the same way. Hence the importance of the glycemic index. And not everything swallowed gets absorbed. So that brings us to today’s subject. […]
October 19, 2018 — New research from the University of Sydney is offering another clue for developing the science of personalized nutrition. Starch is the most common carbohydrate in our diets. And we have an enzyme in our saliva – amylase – that helps us start digesting starch even before we eat it. But different people will have very different responses […]
July 5, 2018 — JAMA Internal Medicine has just published the latest chapter in a hot debate about insulin and sugar as culprits responsible for obesity. David Ludwig and Cara Ebbeling present the prosecution’s case. A spike in highly processed carbs – like refined starches and sugar – is giving us a high glycemic load, they say. And in turn, […]
April 15, 2018 — Is it true pasta doesn’t make you gain weight, and could even help you lose it? Most people think eating pasta will lead to weight-gain, but a recent study found otherwise. It’s no suprise such a conclusion made headlines. Business Insider claimed: Eating pasta 3 times a week won’t make you gain weight, according to a […]
July 7, 2016 — Depending on the nutrition dogma you read, pasta is either “full of toxic refined carbs” or “a defining element of healthy Mediterranean diets.” How can we make sense of this riot of conflicting dietary advice? A new observational study published in Nutrition & Diabetes offers some insight. Researchers examined data from two large observational studies […]
December 28, 2014 — Can we just stop picking on carbs for a while? Perusing overheated headlines from a recent study in JAMA provides ample reasons to cool our passions on the topic. In a 5-week, randomized, controlled study, Frank Sacks and colleagues found little support for the concept that a low glycemic index (G.I.) diet has superior health benefits compared to […]
