As if we didn’t already know that cake, cookies, and white bread are not the healthiest options for us to eat, a new study suggests that women’s hearts would be better off on a lower-carbohydrate, low-glycemic index diet. While the occasional slice of pie or dinner roll isn’t going to induce heart disease, limiting those refined carbs and sweet treats could help stave it off and help us live a longer, healthier life.
An Italian research team, led by Sabina Sieri, Ph.D., surveyed 47,749 Italian adults for their dietary habits and followed them for an average of 7.9 years. During that time, 463 participants developed coronary heart disease. The researchers found the 25 percent of women who consumed the highest glycemic load were at 2.25 times greater risk for heart disease compared with the 25 percent eating the lowest glycemic load. The men in the study showed no such disparity, meaning that they may be effected by or process carbohydrates differently.
The glycemic index (GI) is a ranking system of how carbohydrates affect the glucose levels in the blood. Ingesting foods that have high GI levels cause our blood glucose and insulin levels to peak and valley, causing cravings and overeating, while those that have a low GI level allow the levels to remain relatively unchanged, with less rise and fall. The index ranks food values on a 0-100 scale. High GI scores are 70 and above, mid-range GI scores are 56-69, and those considered low GI are below 55.
Published in the April 12th issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, Dr. Sieri said, “"We hope to be able to repeat this analysis on...more than 500,000 subjects in order to confirm our results."
There are a number of lower carbohydrate diets available for review on the HealthNews diet pages, including the Glycemic Impact Diet, Atkins Diet Plan, and the South Beach Diet. Independent unbiased reviews on each diet are available as well as an Individual Diet Selection tool, which can help you choose the diet that meets your needs.
