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Does It REALLY Matter?

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  • totaloblivia
    totaloblivia Posts: 1,164 Member
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    totaloblivia wrote: »
    Dragonwolf wrote: »
    totaloblivia wrote: »
    LowCarbHeart wrote: »
    Oh my goodness you guys I just came across this article in Time magazine that speaks to this!

    http://time.com/3636690/glycemic-index-heart-health-low-carb/

    I can't seem to get this open no matter if I go direct through the link or google separately: is it saying LCHF is bad for your heart?

    No. In fact, the title is pretty much completely irrelevant to the content of the article.


    Thanks so much for doing this for me - that sets my mind at rest! You're a good person! Reassuring for the low carber.
  • totaloblivia
    totaloblivia Posts: 1,164 Member
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    Dragonwolf wrote: »
    totaloblivia wrote: »
    LowCarbHeart wrote: »
    Oh my goodness you guys I just came across this article in Time magazine that speaks to this!

    http://time.com/3636690/glycemic-index-heart-health-low-carb/

    I can't seem to get this open no matter if I go direct through the link or google separately: is it saying LCHF is bad for your heart?

    No. In fact, the title is pretty much completely irrelevant to the content of the article.

    Here's the part relevant to the discussion, though:
    So two of the diets in the study were high in carbs overall, but one was made up of low-glycemic-index foods while the other was composed of high-glycemic-index foods. The other two diets were low in carbs overall, with the same breakdown or low- and high-glycemic items.

    “What we were thinking was that the glycemic index of the carbs would be more impactful if the total amount of carbohydrates was higher,” says Sacks. “But what we found was against what we thought originally. The low glycemic index did not improve any of the things we measured.”

    In fact, among those eating the high-carb diets, those consuming low-glycemic-index foods had worse insulin response and higher LDL cholesterol. Among dieters eating the low-carb diets, the high v. low glycemic index foods did not make a difference in insulin response, blood pressure, LDL or HDL cholesterol levels.

    Overall, those eating the low-carb diets had lower risk factors for heart disease compared to the group eating more carbohydrates, but the type of carbs didn’t seem to make much difference. “We confirmed previous studies that showed reducing carbs is good, but we did not show that the glycemic index of the carb really had any favorable effect,” says Sacks.

    That suggests that all the attention to knowing the glycemic index of various foods—and basing your eating habits on these numbers—may not be worth the effort. While bananas may have a high glycemic index compared to an apple, for example, always choosing the apple over the banana may not lead to benefits for the heart. That’s because glycemic index is only one aspect of how we break down and metabolize food; bananas are also high in potassium and fiber, which have been linked to lowering risk of heart disease.

    “Consumers should just look at the food, and not worry whether it has a low glycemic index or a high glycemic index,” says Sacks. “If it’s a fruit or vegetable, or a whole grain, then it’s fine.” He also notes that glycemic index isn’t a set characteristic of a food; it’s how an individual person’s body processes the food so it may vary considerably among different people.

    Flip - keep trying to thank you without quoting the whole thing, but haven't managed it.

    Thank you so much for doing this for me - much appreciated. I feel reassured - you're a good person!

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