Nutrition
Hilary McClafferty in Integrative Pediatrics, 2017
Carbohydrates make up a relatively high percent of the pediatric diet and are needed to provide ready fuel to support growth and physical activity. The quality of carbohydrates is important and is determined in part by the fiber content of the food. The proportion of fiber determines the effects of the carbohydrate on blood glucose. This effect is often compared using the glycemic index, a measure of the rise in blood glucose caused by the food in a 2-hour time frame as compared to a control of 50 grams of pure glucose. Glycemic load is another measurement used to categorize carbohydrate quality. Glycemic load is defined as the glycemic index multiplied by grams of available carbohydrate divided by 100 (GL = GI × g/100). Both glycemic index and glycemic load estimate the impact of carbohydrates on insulin levels, insulin sensitivity, and inflammatory markers. Large, longitudinal population surveys have shown that diets high in glycemic index/glycemic load (sugary, lower fiber) are associated with a significantly higher risk of type-2 diabetes in adults (Bhupathiraju et al. 2014), and increasingly children, especially as they enter puberty (Reinehr 2013).
Macronutrientst, Micronutrients, and Metabolism
Emily Crews Splane, Neil E. Rowland, Anaya Mitra in Psychology of Eating, 2019
The size of the spike (more technically, the integrated area under the curve of blood glucose vs time) in blood sugar per standard or unit weight of a food eaten is known as its glycemic index (Figure 2.4). By convention, the glycemic index of pure glucose is set at 100. High-carbohydrate foods such as rice or potatoes have glycemic indices of 70 or more, while beans and fruits are typically 55 or lower (Foster-Powell, Holt & Brand-Miller, 2002), meaning that the spike in blood glucose is substantially smaller. Foods with a high glycemic index exacerbate diabetes, so patients with this metabolic disease are often advised to eat foods with a relatively low glycemic index. The glycemic load of a food takes into account the actual weight of carbohydrate per serving and may be a more practical number to track in relation to a particular dietary regimen (Figure 2.4).
Diets for Weight Loss
Nathalie Bergeron, Patty W. Siri-Tarino, George A. Bray, Ronald M. Krauss in Nutrition and Cardiometabolic Health, 2017
The glycemic index is based on the rise in blood glucose in response to the test food compared to the rise after a 50-g portion of white bread; glycemic load is the product of glycemic index and amount of carbohydrate in the food. The effect of low–glycemic index/load diets on weight loss has been studied in a number of randomized clinical trials in adults (Schwangshakl and Hoffman 2013b). Thomas et al. (2007) identified six studies including 202 participants that met their inclusion criteria. Three of these studies compared low–glycemic index/load diets with higher–glycemic index/load diets, while the other three compared an ad-lib low–glycemic index/load diet with a conventional energy-restricted low-fat diet, or an energy-restricted low–glycemic index/load diet with a normal energy-restricted diet. Interventions were relatively short ranging from 5 weeks to 6 months at the longest. There was a small significant difference in body weight of 1.1 kg (95% CI, −2.0 to −0.2) that favored the low–glycemic index/load diets. The body mass decreased by 1.1 kg (P < 0.05) and fat mass by a similar amount compared to the change of weight in the control diet group. Both total cholesterol and LDL-C fell more with the low–glycemic index/load diets (Sacks et al. 2014).
Dietary Glycemic Load, Glycemic Index, and Carbohydrate Intake on the Risk of Lung Cancer among Men and Women in Shanghai
Published in Nutrition and Cancer, 2018
Jiang-Wei Sun, Wei Zheng, Hong-Lan Li, Jing Gao, Gong Yang, Yu-Tang Gao, Nat Rothman, Qing Lan, Xiao-Ou Shu, Yong-Bing Xiang
Carbohydrates are the main dietary component affecting insulin secretion and postprandial glycemia (3), and such affecting varies substantially and depends largely on both the amount and type of carbohydrates consumed (4). Glycemic index (GI) is a ranking of carbohydrate-containing foods based on their postprandial blood glucose responses relative to a reference food (white bread or glucose); generally, the lower the GI, the smaller the rise in postprandial glucose and insulin concentrations (4,5). Glycemic load (GL) is a measure that incorporates both the quality, measured by the GI value, and quantity of dietary carbohydrates (6), and consequently, may be a better measure than GI to characterize the glycemic effect of the diet. Cumulative epidemiologic evidence suggests that higher dietary GI or GL may increase the risk of diabetes or metabolic syndrome (7–10). Diabetes has been found to play a role in the etiology of certain cancers (11,12), including lung cancer (13), we, therefore, hypothesized that dietary GI, GL, and carbohydrates may also be associated with lung cancer.
Carbohydrate Intake, Glycemic Index, and Glycemic Load and the Risk of Breast Cancer among Iranian Women
Published in Nutrition and Cancer, 2021
Zeinab Alboghobeish, Azita Hekmatdoost, Saba Jalali, Maryam Ahmadi, Bahram Rashidkhani
Various factors including genetic and environmental conditions (5) especially nutritional factors such as alcohol consumption, high carbohydrate intake, diet rich in simple sugars and low intake of fruits and vegetables are involved in the pathology of BC (6–9). High intake of carbohydrate increases insulin levels and subsequently stimulates cell proliferation and inhibition of apoptosis in normal and breast cancer cells by stimulating insulin receptors in the breast tissue or indirectly by increasing IGF-I (10–12). Physiological responses to the carbohydrate content of the foods are measured by glycemic index (GI) and glycemic load (GL)(13). GI shows the blood glucose response 2 h, after consuming 50 grams of available carbohydrates from a foodstuff compared to the equivalent of a standard food such as glucose or white bread(14). GL calculated by GI food items and carbohydrates consumed in one serving(15). Thus, GI shows the average quality of carbohydrate consumption while GL diet represents the average quantity and quality of dietary carbohydrates(16).
Dietary Carbohydrate Intake Glycemic Index and Glycemic Load and the Risk of Prostate Cancer among Iranian Men: A Case-Control Study
Published in Nutrition and Cancer, 2022
Zeinab Alboghobeish, Farinaz Hosseini Balam, Faezeh Askari, Bahram Rashidkhani
Recognized risk factors for PC consist of age, race/ethnicity, and family history (4). In addition, several factors, such as obesity, metabolic syndrome (5), alcohol consumption (4), and dietary factors including refined carbohydrates, processed meat, milk and dairy products, and some micronutrients may have a role in the pathology of PC (6, 7). Glycemic index (GI) as an indicator of carbohydrate quality, measures postprandial glycemic compared to standard carbohydrates (glucose with a glycemic index of 100) (8, 9). The glycemic load includes the amount of carbohydrates intake and the GI, thus reflecting both the quantity and quality of carbohydrates (8, 9). Postprandial blood glucose, which is directly related to the quantity and quality of carbohydrate intake, leads to increased insulin secretion (10). High insulin concentration has been found to suppress apoptosis and stimulate cell growth and subsequently exert prostate cancer-inducing effects (11, 12). Moreover, insulin may lead to tumor progression by affecting insulin-like growth factor (IGF), synthesis of sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG), and circulating estrogen levels (13–15).
Related Knowledge Centers
- Diabetes
- Glycemic Index
- Insulin Resistance
- Carbohydrate
- Blood Sugar Level
- Diet In Diabetes
- Disposition Index
- Glycemic Efficacy
- Low-Carbohydrate Diet
- Montignac Diet