Pathophysiology of Diabetes
Jahangir Moini, Matthew Adams, Anthony LoGalbo in Complications of Diabetes Mellitus, 2022
The glycemic index is a value that is assigned to foods, based on the speed in which they cause increases in blood glucose levels. Foods that are low on the glycemic index (GI) scale usually release glucose slowly and steadily, while foods high on the glycemic index release glucose quickly. The lower GI foods aid in weight loss, but those high on the scale aid in energy recovery after exercise, or to prevent hypoglycemia. Therefore, people with diabetes or prediabetes should consume more of the lower GI foods. This is because faster release of glucose from the higher GI foods results in spikes in blood sugar levels. Good glucose control is maintained by the slow and steady release of glucose from the lower GI foods. Table 1.1 summarizes examples of the lower and higher GI foods.
Obesity Is a Major Health Problem: Causes and Natural History
Susan L. McElroy, David B. Allison, George A. Bray in Obesity and Mental Disorders, 2006
A second relationship between obesity and carbohydrate intake may be through the glycemic index. The glycemic index is a way of describing the ease with which starches are digested in the intestine with the release of glucose, which can be readily absorbed. A high glycemic index food is one that is readily digested and produces a large and rapid rise in plasma glucose. A low glycemic index food, on the other hand, is more slowly digested and associated with a slower and lower rise in glucose. Comparative studies show that feeding high glycemic index food suppresses food intake less than low glycemic index foods. The low glycemic index foods are the fruits and vegetables that tend to have fiber. Potatoes, white rice, and white bread are high glycemic index foods. Legumes and whole wheat are low glycemic index foods.
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).
Ketogenic diet: overview, types, and possible anti-seizure mechanisms
Published in Nutritional Neuroscience, 2021
Mohammad Barzegar, Mohammadreza Afghan, Vahid Tarmahi, Meysam Behtari, Soroor Rahimi Khamaneh, Sina Raeisi
The LGIT, introduced in 2005, as another effective alternative dietary approach for DRE management [30]. In this dietary treatment, the extreme carbohydrate restriction of the other KDs is liberalized. The high carbohydrate-containing foods such as rice, bread potatoes, watermelon, and bagels are restricted to the low glycemic index foods which produce relatively small changes in blood glucose. A measure of a food’s tendency to cause a glucose elevation in serum is considered as the glycemic index [13,31]. The glycemic index of a specific food can be evaluated by calculating the incremental area the blood glucose response curve after administering the specified amount of that food in comparison to a same amount of the reference glucose [13]. The glycemic index of reference glucose is considered as 100 therefore, a particular food with a 50 glycemic index produces 50% of the area under the curve [31]. The diets with glycemic index less than 50 (such as meat, dairy, and some fruits and whole grain breads as well) are allowed in LGIT. This dietary treatment has nearly similar efficacy compared to the classic KD, however it is more palatable and easy to implementation [13]. The efficacy of LGIT is comparable with classic KD. Muzykewicz et al. evaluated the efficacy of LGIT in 76 DRE patients. A greater than 50% reduction in seizure frequency was recognized in 42%, 50%, 54%, 64%, and 66% of the patients after 1, 3, 6, 9, and 12 months, respectively.
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).
Effect of Tart Cherry Concentrate on Endurance Exercise Performance: A Meta-analysis
Published in Journal of the American College of Nutrition, 2020
Ruirui Gao, Philip D. Chilibeck
Theoretically, tart cherry concentrate may enhance endurance exercise performance via its low glycemic index, anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative capacity, and blood flow enhancing effects. Tart cherry juice has a low glycemic index (GI = 45) (6). Low glycemic index foods induce slower and smaller increase in postprandial blood glucose and insulin levels (25). Low glycemic index foods consumed before exercise may improve endurance performance by maintaining carbohydrate availability during exercise (25). The sustained release of glucose into blood after slow digestion of low glycemic index foods provides sustained energy during exercise, which is important in the later stages of prolonged exercise. Also, insulin inhibits fat oxidation and promotes glucose utilization (26–28); therefore, the attenuation of post-prandial insulinemia may facilitate fat oxidation and reduce the depletion of muscle glycogen (29). This altered fuel utilization may contribute to enhanced endurance performance.