The Glycemic Index Diet for Dummies - Meri Raffetto [15]
Society now knows that Type 2 diabetes develops gradually over time, and physicians are encouraged to notice when blood sugar levels start creeping up. Prediabetes is defined as a fasting blood sugar between 100 and 126 milligrams of glucose per deciliter of blood (mg/dL). When your fasting blood sugar climbs above 126mg/dL, you've moved from prediabetes into actually having diabetes. The American Diabetes Association estimates that 57 million people have prediabetes, and the majority of them will eventually be diagnosed with actual diabetes. Following a low-glycemic diet can help you lose weight and decrease your blood sugar levels so you never move into the diabetes range. Flip to Chapter 22 if you want more information on the glycemic index and chronic diseases such as diabetes. (Want more info on insulin resistance and the glycemic index? Head to Chapter 5.)
Individuals with diabetes aren't the only people who can benefit from using the glycemic index to manage blood sugar and insulin levels. Women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) also benefit from following a low-glycemic diet. Researchers estimate that approximately 25 percent of women of reproductive age have PCOS, a condition that causes insulin resistance. Eating low-glycemic foods to reduce blood sugar and insulin levels is one extremely effective treatment for PCOS. (Check out Chapter 22 for more about following a low-glycemic diet if you have PCOS.)
A good nutrition strategy for anyone who wants to lower his blood sugar and insulin levels is to first look to the total carbohydrate content in foods. Strive to maintain an even carbohydrate intake at meals and snacks. Incorporating low-glycemic foods helps provide additional blood sugar-control benefits because higher-glycemic foods raise blood sugar levels faster and require more insulin to process.
Disease prevention
A large review of 37 scientific studies on the effects of the glycemic index and glycemic load on disease prevention shows that following a low-glycemic diet independently reduces a person's risk for Type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, gallbladder disease, and breast cancer. Choosing a low-glycemic diet that's also high in fiber is even more protective.
Scientists believe that choosing an overall low-glycemic diet that also contains protective amounts of vegetables, fruits, and mimally processed whole grains appears to protect against heart disease. When it comes to heart disease, following the standard recommendations from the American Heart Association is crucial: Choose foods that are higher in fiber and monounsaturated fat, enjoy seafood that contains beneficial omega-3 fatty acids more often, and decrease the amount of saturated fat, trans fats, cholesterol, and sodium that you consume. Fortunately, low-glycemic fruits, vegetables, legumes, and whole grains already meet these heart-healthy nutrition guidelines, so simply incorporating a variety of these low-glycemic goodies into your diet each day can help protect you from heart disease.
The reason for the benefit of a low-glycemic diet rests on lower blood sugar levels and a decreased need for insulin. When blood sugar levels increase, the body produces more insulin to join with blood sugar and transport it into cells to provide energy. At the same time, elevated insulin levels lead to inflammation within the blood vessels, and this inflammation plays a role in the development of plaque. Plaque inside arteries narrows blood vessels and causes them to be less elastic, which can increase blood pressure levels or even lead to heart attack or stroke.
Heart disease is the culmination of a series of several events. Decreasing your risk of heart disease requires an interwoven