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glycemic index.
Publisher: Professor Jennie Brand-Miller, AM, PhD, FAIFST, FNSA
Editor: Philippa Sandall
Scientific Editor/Managing Editor: Alan Barclay, PhD, APD, AN
Contact GI News: glycemic.index@gmail.com
Sydney University Glycemic Index Research Service
Manager: Fiona Atkinson, PhD, APD, AN
Contact: sugirs.manager@sydney.edu.au
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1 April 2019
GI News - April 2019
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
SUGAR ALCOHOLS (POLYOLS) QandA: OUR EXPERTS ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS
Prof Jennie Brand-Miller and Dr Alan Barclay answer 7 of the most common questions we are asked about sugar alcohols.
WHAT ARE SUGAR ALCOHOLS (POLYOLS)?
Erythritol,
glycerol, hydrogenated starch hydrolysates, isomalt, lactitol,
maltitol, mannitol, sorbitol and xylitol are sugar alcohols. They are a
type of carbohydrate. Their somewhat confusing name comes from their
chemical structure with its characteristics of both sugars and alcohol.
But they don’t actually contain sugars nor do they contain the type of
alcohol found in beer, wine or spirits. They are sweet but, except for
xylitol, generally much less sweet than sucrose, which is why food and
beverage manufacturers often combine them with intense sweeteners such
as stevia in foods and beverages.
WHERE DO YOU FIND THEM?
Food
manufacturers use sugar alcohols as reduced-calorie (kilojoule) sugar
substitutes to sweeten “diabetic friendly”, sugar free and no added
sugars products including chewing gum, candy (lollies), ice cream, dairy
desserts, yoghurts, baked goods such as cakes and cookies, and fruit
spreads and jams. They also add them to tabletop and spoonable or
pourable high-intensity sweeteners such as stevia as bulking agents.
You’ll also find them in toothpastes, mouthwashes, breath mints, cough
syrups or drops and throat lozenges in the pharmacy aisles. Apart from
xylitol, you’ll be very unlikely to see them on the supermarket shelf as
they are not commonly used as ingredients in home cooking.
WHERE DO THEY COME FROM?
Most sugar alcohols are
produced in commercial quantities for the food industry from various
sugars or starches. However, they do occur naturally in many plants. For
example:
- Erythritol is found in small amounts in grapes, melons and mushrooms and in fermented foods such as wine, beer, sake, cheese, and soy sauce.
- Sorbitol occurs naturally in many fruits and berries. It was first “discovered” way back in 1872 in the berries of Sorbus aucuparia – mountain ash.
- Xylitol is found in birch bark and in the dietary fibre of many fruits and vegetables.
No. They are quite different. Sugar alcohols (polyols) are found in nature and are nutritive sweeteners with an average of 2 calories or 8 kilojoules per gram (versus the 4 calories or 17 kilojoules per gram of sugars and starches). Artificial sweeteners like saccharin and sucralose on the other hand are non-nutritive intense sweeteners with zero calories/kilojoules and come directly from the chemistry lab.
WHAT’S THE UPSIDE OF CHOOSING FOODS SWEETENED WITH SUGAR ALCOHOLS?
They have a couple of advantages over sugars (sucrose, glucose, fructose, maltose, etc.)
- First, they may have less effect on blood glucose (blood sugar) because the body treats them as dietary fibre, which means they are slowly and incompletely absorbed from the small intestine into the bloodstream. See Perspectives below for GI values.
- And they are “tooth friendly.” They don’t provide energy for plaque bacteria in the mouth so don’t cause cavities. FDA has approved the use of a “does not promote tooth decay” health claim in labelling for sugar-free foods that contain polyols, and in other parts of the world they may be labelled “safe for teeth.”
Some (isomalt, lactitol, maltitol and maltitol syrup, mannitol, sorbitol, and xylitol) may have a laxative effect and/or cause bloating, rumbling, gas, or diarrhea if you consume them in large amounts.
- Foods that contain more than 10 grams of lactitol, maltitol, mannitol, and xylitol per 100 grams, or more than 25 grams of erythritol, sorbitol, or isomalt per 100 grams, carry warning statements about the possible laxative effect on their labels. These products can be a particular problem for children and adolescents because of their smaller body size.
- In Europe, the labelling of foods containing more than 10 per cent added polyols must include the advisory statement “excessive consumption may produce laxative effects.” EU approval for erythritol excludes its use in beverages, as there is a concern that the laxative threshold value may be exceeded when it is consumed this way, especially by young people.
- Those following a low-FODMAP diet due to digestive conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) may need to avoid them. (FODMAPs are sugars in foods that are poorly absorbed by the gut. The “P” stands for polyols.
Products that contain sugar alcohols (polyols) will list them in the ingredients (in descending order by weight). However, you’ll be hard pressed to find out exactly how much you are getting per serving or per 100 grams because you won’t find any hard data in the carbohydrates section of the nutrition facts panel in most parts of the world.
In the USA, food manufacturers may voluntarily list the amount in grams per serving of sugar alcohols on the Nutrition Facts Label (under Total Carbohydrate). They may also list the name of a specific sugar alcohol if only one is added to the food. However, if a statement is made on the package labelling about the health effects of sugar alcohols or sugars (when sugar alcohols are present in the food), food manufacturers are required to list sugar alcohols.
Read More:
- The Ultimate Guide to Sugars and Sweeteners (Includes entries for individual sugar alcohols/polyols)
- FDA
WHAT’S NEW?
WILL A TREAT A DAY KEEP THE WEIGHT AWAY?
Possibly.
Back in 2005, when researchers from the University of Toronto deprived a
group of women volunteers of chocolate for a week, they found that the
restrained eaters in the group experienced more intense, chronic
chocolate cravings and swallowed approximately double the amount of the
forbidden food when it was finally allowed. “When you cut something out
of your diet, you’re more likely to overeat it when you do encounter
it,” says lead author Janet Polivy.
A new study in Psychological Science suggests that
indulgent foods like chocolate may in fact promote better choices. Duke
University researchers designed a study to look at how viewing treats
such as Snickers and Oreos affected the choice of healthier foods such
as salmon or grapefruit. They invited the participants – 79 young adults
from the Durham-Chapel Hill area – to fast for four hours beforehand,
so they arrived hungry.
First, participants chose
between indulgent foods (tasty but not healthy) and disciplined foods
(healthy but not tasty). When given a simple one-to-one choice, say
between canned salmon and Oreo cookies, nearly all preferred the
indulgent snack.
But researchers then took the same options and paired each with an
indulgent food. For instance, participants saw salmon paired with Oreos,
and Snickers paired with Oreos. Participants were told they had a 50
percent chance of getting either item in a pair.
When presented with that choice, participants were twice as likely to
choose the pair that included a healthy option, such as salmon and
Oreos.
One possible explanation involves attention. The
healthy item – salmon, say – was the different item among the choices,
so it stood out visually. Researchers tracked subjects' eye movements
and found that subjects spent more time looking at salmon and other
healthy foods when they were surrounded by indulgent treats.
Paradoxically,
the nearby presence of an indulgent treat can cause more people to opt
for a healthy food, said study co-author Scott Huettel, professor of
psychology and neuroscience at Duke. Context, in other words, affects
food choices. “When people choose foods, they don't simply reach into
their memory and pick the most-preferred food. Instead, how much we
prefer something actually depends on what other options are available,”
Huettel said. “If you see one healthy food and one unhealthy food, most
people will choose the indulgent food,” he said. "But if you add more
unhealthy foods, it seems, suddenly the healthy food stands out.”
Read more
WHAT’S HOT?
CHOCOLATE
Observational studies suggest that the
flavonoids in cocoa can help lower blood pressure, improve blood flow to
the brain and heart, prevent blood clots, and fight cell damage. Cocoa,
which is made from cacao beans (the seeds of the cacao tree), is one of
nature’s richest sources of flavonoids. Others sources include green
and black tea, red wine, certain fruits (berries, black grapes, plums,
apples) and vegetables (artichokes, asparagus, cabbage, russet and sweet
potatoes).
Vincenza Gianfredi and colleagues suggest flavanol intake from
chocolate may be useful in preventing heart disease and stroke
(cardio-cerebrovascular diseases) in their systematic review and
meta-analysis published in Nutrition. Future studies should focus on the
type of chocolate responsible for the beneficial effect they say and
remind us in their conclusion that: “These results do not exclude that
overconsumption of chocolate/cocoa can have harmful effects. Further
studies are required to confirm these data before any recommendations
about chocolate intake can be made.” We have reported on the upside and
downside of chocolate on a number of occasions. Here’s a summary of some
key points.
CHOCOLATE AND BLOOD GLUCOSE Although most
chocolates have a relatively high added sugars content, they don’t have a
big impact on your blood glucose levels. The average GI is around 45
because their high fat content slows the rate that the sugars are
released from the stomach into the intestine and absorbed into the
blood.
CHOCOLATE AND WEIGHT Most chocolates are energy
dense – you get a lot of kilojoules (calories) in a little piece. This
is good if you are trying to gain weight, travel long-distances with
limited storage space, or participate in an endurance sport where it is
an advantage to be able to carry around a concentrated and highly
palatable source of carbohydrate and energy. But it is obviously not
good if you are trying to lose weight. Sugar-free chocolate provides a
modest saving in calories (see Product Review).
CHOCOLATE
AND FATIGUE A nice cup of hot chocolate could be a safe, easy way to
reduce fatigue symptoms associated with inflammation in people with
multiple sclerosis (MS), according to international researchers
reporting on a randomised controlled feasibility trial in Journal of
Neurology Neurosurgery & Psychiatry. The research team asked 40
people with MS to drink high- or low-flavonoid cocoa every day for six
weeks. They found those who drank high-flavonoid cocoa rated their
fatigue as lower, and were also able to cover more distance in 6-minute
walking tests. If these results can be confirmed in larger studies, dark
chocolate and cocoa could be an easy (and tasty) way to reduce fatigue
symptoms, the researchers say.
THE FATS IN CHOCOLATE In
good quality chocolate, cocoa butter is the main source of fat. It is
rich in a particular kind of saturated fat called stearic acid, which
raises the ‘bad’ LDL cholesterol the least of the saturated fats, but
raises the ‘good’ HDL cholesterol more. The net effect on your total
blood cholesterol levels is not bad at all. The amount of cocoa butter
in chocolate varies. As a rough guide, better quality chocolate
generally will have more cocoa butter.
HOW MUCH
CHOCOLATE? “Keep your portions small,” says dietitian Nicole Senior,
“because it’s the transition from cocoa to chocolate that adds the fat,
sugar and kilojoules. Luckily, the intensity of flavour helps keep small
amounts deeply satisfying. If I could borrow and modify an often-used
phrase from Michael Pollan, I’d say this: Eat good honest chocolate;
mostly dark; not too much.”
Read more:
PRODUCT REVIEW
WITH OR WITHOUT SUGAR? WHAT’S IN CHOCOLATE?
People
with diabetes don’t need to eat low or reduced-sugar chocolates to
avoid high BGLs provided they don't eat too much. However, alternatively
sweetened chocolates usually do provide fewer calories, an advantage if
you are trying to lose weight. “Chocolate is a supremely pleasurable
‘sometimes food’ to be enjoyed in small amounts without guilt,” says
dietitian Nicole Senior. “A good way to do this is to naturally limit
the amount by eating the best quality chocolate, and ideally buying Fair
Trade.”
We
took a look at what you get with dark chocolate with or without added
sugars for product review. We provide you with nutrition information for
the serving size the manufacturer recommends as well as per 100 grams
so you can compare the data on a level playing field. The nutrition data
comes from the manufacturers’ websites.
LINDT EXCELLENCE DARK CHOCOLATE, 70% COCOA
Ingredients: Cocoa mass, sugar, cocoa butter, emulsifier (soy lecithin), vanilla.
WELL NATURALLY NO SUGAR ADDED RICH DARK CHOCOLATE (70%)
Ingredients: Cocoa mass & cocoa butter (70% cocoa solids), polydextrose, erythritol, soy lecithin, natural flavour, stevia.
CHOCOLOGIC NO ADDED SUGAR BELGIAN DARK CHOCOLATE
Ingredients: Cocoa
Mass, Alimentary Fibres (Dextrin, Inulin, Oligofructose), Sweeteners
(Erythritol, Steviol Glycosides), Cocoa Butter, Emulsifier: Soya
Lecithin, Natural Flavouring (Vanilla), Plain Chocolate contains Cocoa
Solids 55% minimum
PERSPECTIVES WITH DR ALAN BARCLAY
SWEET NOTHINGS?
Consumer demand for reduced sugar,
no-added-sugar and sugar free foods and beverages has increased, as
people look to cut back on processed foods with added sugars without
cutting sweet treats out of their lives. Sugar alcohols or polyols are
increasingly replacing them in foods and beverages, often along with
intense sweeteners, as they provide similar bulk and texture to sugars
but fewer kilojoules/calories. We put together the following table to
show you how sugar alcohols compare with added table sugar (sucrose).
A couple of points. While sugar alcohols occur naturally in many
plant foods, they are extracted for the food industry from various
starches and sugars. You may also notice that the GI values differ from
some of the claims you will see on-line and on product packaging. This
is because much of the original GI testing was done before ISO
26642:2010 (Food products -- Determination of the glycaemic index (GI) and recommendation for food classification)
was gazetted in 2010. The ISO sets out how much available carbohydrate
each sugar alcohol (polyol)provides and therefore how much is required
for GI testing. Prof Tom Wolever has adjusted older GI test results
based on the amount of available carbohydrate they contain, and it’s his
result we have included.
As they are generally poorly
absorbed in our intestines (with the notable exception of erythritol),
polyols all provide much less energy than regular sugars. But, with the
exception of xylitol, they are not as sweet as sucrose. Therefore, more
polyols need to be used to attain the same sweetness in a product, or
(more typically), they are blended with an intense sweetener to achieve
the same sweetness as sucrose. A very common example is erythritol,
which is on average only 70% as sweet as sucrose. It is typically
blended with steviol glycosides (“stevia”) to achieve a final product
that has a similar bulk, texture and taste as sucrose, that is also
“natural”.
Most have a lower GI and all have a lower
glycemic load (GL) than sucrose. However, most do provide some available
carbohydrate, so if consumed in large amounts, they will have an effect
on blood glucose levels – though much less than sucrose.
Finding
them in the packaged foods or beverages you buy can be tricky. The good
news is that ingredient lists must include the name of individual sugar
alcohols/polyols if they are used. The bad news is that they are not a
mandatory component of the Nutrition Facts panel in most countries, and
therefore are rarely included. The USA is the notable exception where
they must be included under Total Carbohydrate when a “sugar free”, “no
added sugar” or other sugar claim is made.
Given they
are a kind of carbohydrate and excessive consumption can cause wind,
bloating and diarrhoea, we think this “invisibility” could be a problem
for a significant proportion of the population. It also reminds us that
carbohydrates are generally labelled poorly and that it’s not the sugars
that are hidden. It’s the sugar alcohols/polyols.
We
like the following Nutrition Facts panel for ProYo ice cream and would
like to see this approach or something similar widely adopted so people
can see what’s sweetening the processed food they buy.
Ingredient list: Skim Milk, Whole Milk, Whey Protein
Concentrate, Xylitol (Natural Sweetener), Cane Sugar, Inulin, Natural
Flavors, Ground Vanilla Bean
Read more:
- ISO 26642:2010 (Food products -- Determination of the glycaemic index (GI) and recommendation for food classification).
- Wolever, T. The glycaemic index: a physiological classification of dietary carbohydrate.
- US FDA. A food labelling guide: guidance for industry.
Alan Barclay, PhD is a consultant dietitian and chef (Cert III). He worked for Diabetes Australia (NSW) from 1998–2014 . He is author/co-author of more than 30 scientific publications, and author/co-author of The good Carbs Cookbook (Murdoch Books), Reversing Diabetes (Murdoch Books), The Low GI Diet: Managing Type 2 Diabetes (Hachette Australia) and The Ultimate Guide to Sugars and Sweeteners (The Experiment, New York).
Contact: You can follow him on Twitter or check out his website.
BEST FOOD FORWARD
ICE CREAM – IT’S IMPACT ON OUR PLANET AND HEALTH
“You
scream, I scream, we all scream for ice cream” is a soundtrack to food
joy. Now vegans, sustainable shoppers and calorie-conscious consumers
can get their food joy fix with many big-name brands launching products
to cater for their dietary desires. But are these alternative ice creams
healthier for us and better for the planet?
Plant-based foods generally use fewer resources (water, feed,
energy) and have lower greenhouse gas emissions. However, not all vegan
foods are sustainable options due to their high level of processing –
they use more energy and their long supply chains add transport inputs
and create emissions. For example, the new Magnum Classic Dairy-Free
ice cream contains pea protein, but quite a number of steps and
resources are required to turn peas into pea protein and then add it to
ice cream. Remember, these vegan products are developed to meet consumer
demand and increase market share, not to boost sustainability. Big
picture. The planet could do with fewer ice creams (and highly processed
foods generally) rather than vegan ones.
Today, there
are ice creams on the market to cater for nearly every diet: vegan,
low-calorie, higher protein, gluten-free and even “guilt-free” (whatever
that means). When we compared the nutrients in Magnum Classic to the new Magnum Classic Dairy-free
(Unilever Australia) per 100 grams, we found that the nutritional
profiles are quite similar, with a similar ratio of fat to sugar to
obtain the desired flavour and texture. The protein content of the
Magnum Classic is slightly higher than its dairy-free counterpart. But
(and it’s a big but) they are both still highly processed, discretionary
(treat) foods. They both contain plenty of calories and roughly half
your daily saturated fat allowance.
The take-home: “Low-calorie” and “guilt-free” ice creams are
probably not as virtuous as the marketing suggests. While they may be a
little lower in calories (or sugar) than the real deal, they are still
highly processed treat foods best enjoyed occasionally. And unlike the
real deal, they may also come with an unwanted side of diarrhoea,
bloating or gas for some people, as they are often sweetened with sugar
alcohols (polyols).
It’s OK to enjoy ice cream as a
treat, but enjoy a modest portion and savour every mouthful. At other
times, choose fruit and yoghurt such as our favourites Greek yoghurt
with honey and walnuts or seasonal fresh fruit salad with vanilla
yoghurt. For a treat that satisfies, try a portion of Kate McGhie’s
Banana and Peanut Ice Cream recipe in this issue of GI News. Add a
drizzle of melted dark chocolate if you fancy it.
Ice Cream in a Nut Shell
- Vegan and low-calorie ice creams are still highly processed “sometimes” foods that have an impact on our environment and health, just like regular ice cream.
- No foods are off-limits; enjoy a good quality ice cream from time to time.
- For everyday sweet treats, choose satisfying wholefoods such as fruit and yoghurt.
Nicole Senior is an Accredited Nutritionist, author, consultant, cook, food enthusiast and mother who strives to make sense of nutrition science and delights in making healthy food delicious. Contact: You can follow her on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram or check out her website.
GOOD CARBS FOOD FACTS A TO Z
PEANUTS
We think of peanuts as nuts, and for all culinary,
research and nutritional purposes they are. But they aren’t a typical
“nut” – botanically a fruit whose ovary becomes hard at maturity. This
is because along with peas, beans and lentils, they belong to the legume
family, whose members produce those familiar pods typically with one to
twelve seeds and whose root nodules are home to the helpful
nitrogen-fixing Rhizobium bacteria.
Peanuts
(also called groundnuts) are the seeds of Arachis hypogaea and
originally came from South America. The earliest evidence of people
tucking into them as a food crop (along with squash, beans, quinoa and
coca) comes from Nanchoc Valley in northern Peru where macro and
micro-fossils (from the calculus of human teeth) suggest they were part
of the local diet between at least 9500 and 7000 BP. They arrived in
Europe with the conquering Spaniards at the end of the fifteenth century
and then speedily made their way around the world to Asia, Africa and
North America.
Dr George Washington Carver is
considered by many to be the father of the peanut industry in the US. He
began his peanut research in 1903. He suggested to farmers that they
rotate their cotton plants (which deplete the nitrogen in the soil) and
cultivate peanuts which puts it back.
With their
protein, fibre, unsaturated fats, vitamins, minerals, trace elements and
phytochemicals, these popular nibbles pack a nutritional punch. They
are also rich in substances considered protective for the heart: an
amino acid (building block of protein) called arginine; vitamin E,
folate, copper (a mineral) and plant sterols.
What
about aflatoxin? Processed peanuts are quality-controlled for the
presence of fungus that produces a toxin called aflatoxin. Because
peanuts in the shell are not screened, throw away any mouldy ones.
What
about peanut allergy? This is an increasingly common food allergy
especially in children. One-third of all peanut-allergic people are also
allergic to tree nuts such as brazil nuts, hazelnuts, walnuts, almonds,
macadamia nuts, pistachios, pecans, pine nuts and cashews. See Read
More for fact sheet sheet.
Source: USDA
Read more:
IN THE GI NEWS KITCHEN
THE GOOD CARBS COOKBOOK The Good Carbs Cookbook (by Alan Barclay, Kate McGhie and Philippa Sandall) published by Murdoch Books helps you choose the best fruits, vegetables, beans, peas, lentils, seeds, nuts and grains and explains how to use them in 100 refreshingly nourishing recipes to enjoy every day, for breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner and dessert. The recipes are easy to prepare, (mostly) quick to cook, long in flavour and full of sustaining goodness, so you feel fuller for longer. There is a nutritional analysis for each recipe and tips and helpful hints for the novice, nervous, curious or time-starved cook.
BANANA AND PEANUT ICE CREAM
Blitzed frozen bananas make this one of the easiest and amazing ice-cream recipes ever. Good Carbs Cookbook author, Kate McGhie, says a powerful blender will do the job better than a food processor. They go from crumbly and gooey to looking a bit like oatmeal and finally achieve the consistency of a soft serve ice-cream. If you like, replace the chopped roasted peanuts with ½ cup blueberries. Preparation time: 15 minutes + freezing • Serves: 6
4 large ripe bananas, peeled cut into chunks and frozen
¼ cup crunchy peanut butter
¼ cup runny honey
⅔ cup natural yoghurt
⅓ cup chopped roasted peanuts
Put the frozen banana into a blender and blitz until smooth and creamy. (Because the bananas are frozen solid this is a noisy process.) When the mixture is smooth add the peanut butter, honey, yoghurt and peanuts then pulse-blend. Pour the mixture into a freezer-proof container with a lid and freeze.
Per serving
Energy: 1125kJ/270cals; Protein 8g; Fat 11g (includes 2g saturated fat; saturated : unsaturated fat ratio 0. 22); Available carbohydrate 34g (includes 30g sugars, 2g starches); Fibre 3.5g; Sodium 50mg; Potassium 470mg; sodium to potassium ratio 0.11
LOW GI LIVING
The Glycemic Index Foundation, a not-for- profit health promotion charity, have recently launched a new electronic newsletter to share their low GI recipes along with the latest news about GI and better carbs. It’s aimed at the general community as well as those living with diabetes. Click the link to sign up to receive Low GI Living in your mailbox.
MOROCCAN STYLE CHICKEN WITH PEARL COUSCOUS
Ready in just 40 minutes, this fibre and protein rich recipe from Gabriel Gaté is sure to be a crowd pleaser. It’s quite a large meal and we feel it could easily stretch to more than the four serves they suggest. • Serves: 4.
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp mustard seeds tsp cumin seeds
½ tsp cinnamon powder
1 tsp chilli paste
¼ tbsp tomato paste
½ tsp salt and ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
8 skinless chicken drumsticks
½ brown onion, finely chopped
1 red capsicum, diced
1 tsp ground cumin
1 cup shelled peas
250g (9oz) pearl couscous
2 cups low/reduced-salt but strong chicken stock
a handful of coriander leaves
Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). In a bowl mix 2 teaspoons of olive oil with the mustard seeds, cumin seeds, cinnamon, chilli paste, the tomato paste and a little salt and pepper. • Place the chicken drumsticks in a bowl and season with the spicy oil mix. Place the chicken on an oven rack and bake in the preheated oven for about 30 minutes, turning the drumsticks from time to time. • Heat the remaining 2 teaspoons of olive oil in a non-stick pan. Add the chopped onion and ground cumin and stir for 1 minute. Add the diced capsicum and stir on medium heat for 3 minutes. • Add the peas and pearl couscous and stir well for 30 seconds, before adding the chicken stock. Bring to a simmer, cover with a lid and cook for 10 minutes on very low heat. • Serve the chicken drumsticks on a bed of pearl couscous garnished with coriander leaves and a large, crispy garden salad on the side.
Per serve
3070 kJ/ 730 calories; 68g protein; 25g fat (includes 6g saturated fat; saturated : unsaturated fat ratio 0.32); 56g available carbs (includes 5g sugars and 51g starch); 4g fibre; 960mg sodium; 1330mg potassium
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Nutritional analysis To analyse Australian foods, beverages, processed products and recipes, we use FoodWorks which contains the AusNut and Nuttab databases. If necessary, this is supplemented with data from www.calorieking.com.au or http://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/search.
Disclaimer GI News endeavours to check the veracity of news stories cited in this free e-newsletter by referring to the primary source, but cannot be held responsible for inaccuracies in the articles so published. GI News provides links to other World Wide Web sites as a convenience to users, but cannot be held responsible for the content or availability of these sites. All recipes that are included within GI News have been analysed however they have not been tested for their glycemic index properties by an accredited laboratory according to the ISO standards.
© ®™ The University of Sydney, Australia
1 March 2019
GI News - March 2019
GI News is published online every month by the
University of Sydney, School of Life and Environmental Sciences and the
Charles Perkins Centre, and delivered to the mailboxes of our 97,000
subscribers. Our goal is to help people choose the high-quality carbs
that are digested at a rate that our bodies can comfortably accommodate
and to share the latest scientific findings on food and diet with a
particular focus on carbohydrates, dietary fibres, blood glucose and the
glycemic index.
Publisher: Professor Jennie Brand-Miller, AM, PhD, FAIFST, FNSA
Editor: Philippa Sandall
Scientific Editor/Managing Editor: Alan Barclay, PhD, APD, AN
Contact GI News: glycemic.index@gmail.com
Sydney University Glycemic Index Research Service
Manager: Fiona Atkinson, PhD, APD, AN
Contact: sugirs.manager@sydney.edu.au
Like us on
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
STARCH Q and A: OUR EXPERTS ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS
Prof Jennie Brand-Miller and Dr Alan Barclay answer 5 of the most common questions we are asked about starch.
WHAT IS STARCH? Starch is found naturally in grains,
legumes (beans, peas and lentils), potatoes and other starchy vegetables
(e.g., parsnip, potato, pumpkin, squash), nuts and seeds. It’s the
plant’s reserve energy supply that it stores in seeds and tubers. In
fact, there are two types of starches which are part of the large group
of polysaccharides – chains of glucose joined together by chemical
bonds.
- Amylose is a straight chain of glucose molecules that tend to line up in rows like a string of beads and form tight, compact clumps that are harder for our bodies to gelatinise and digest.
- Amylopectin is a string of glucose molecules with lots of bushy looking branching points, such as you see in some types of seaweed or a tree. Amylopectin molecules are larger and more open and the starch tends to be easier for our bodies to gelatinise and digest.
Let’s take rice. The cooking instructions for the absorption method tell us to throw 1 cup of rice into the pot with 1½ cups of water and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes or until the water has evaporated. Remove from heat, keep covered and set aside for 5 minutes. So, what happens? The starch granules absorb the water, swell up and some burst, freeing the thousands of individual starch molecules. We now have fluffy rice and a food we have no difficulty digesting because our highly specialised starch-digesting enzymes (amylases) have a lot more accessible surface area to attack.
WHAT IS GLYCOGEN? Glycogen is very similar to starch in its chemical structure. Our bodies make it from glucose and store it as backup in the liver and muscles (we can store about 1500 to 1900 calories worth). It comes from the carb foods (starches and sugars) we consume and provides energy we can draw on when our carb stores run low with fasting or intense exercise. When carb stores run low, our bodies convert the glycogen back to glucose to power our muscles and brains.
WHAT IS RESISTANT STARCH? Many scientists categorise resistant starch as another form of dietary fibre these days because of what it does. It actually is starch that resists digestion and absorption in the small intestine and zips through to the large intestine largely intact to be fermented into short chain fatty acids, like acetate, propionate and butyrate by those good gut bacteria we have down there (our microbiome). Research in recent years suggests it may well be as important as fibre in helping reduce the risk of colorectal cancer, so it has a lot of fans. It’s found naturally in unprocessed cereals and whole grains, firm (unripe) bananas, beans and lentils. But you can create it in your own kitchen too when you make potato salad, rice salad or pasta salad – starchy foods that you cook and then cool. The same goes for old-fashioned oatmeal if you cook up a pot one day and reheat individual portions the next.
WHAT ARE MALTODEXTRINS? Maltodextrins don’t occur naturally in foods, they are chains of glucose molecules ranging from three to nine glucose units long produced by processing corn (maize), potato, rice, tapioca, or wheat to break down the starch in a factory. We call them highly refined carbohydrates. As they are flavourless and only slightly sweet, they are commonly added to processed foods to provide bulk and texture and to help blend ingredients together. You will also find them in the single-serving, tabletop packets of some intense sweeteners and in pharmaceuticals.
Are they gluten-free? In the United States and Canada, maltodextrins are most often made from corn, potato, or rice but in Europe, Australia, and New Zealand, wheat is widely used. It seems to be generally accepted that the source may not matter, since the original grain or starchy vegetable is highly processed to remove all the gluten-containing protein. However, dietitian Dr Kate Marsh, always recommends people with celiac disease avoid maltodextrin derived from wheat as there is a possibility it may contain small amounts of gluten. She says: “Wheat will appear on the label when it has been used to make maltodextrin. If you have celiac disease and are concerned about a particular product, your local celiac society should be able to help. Alternatively, check with your doctor or dietitian.”
Read More:
WHAT’S NEW?
HOW STARCHY CARBS ADVANCED THE HUMAN RACE
Starchy
carbohydrates were a major factor in the evolution of the human brain
say researchers in the Quarterly Review of Biology, challenging the
long-standing belief that the increase in size of the human brain around
800,000 years ago was the result of increased meat consumption.
“Global increases in obesity and diet-related metabolic diseases
have led to enormous interest in ancestral or ‘Paleolithic’ diets,” said
Professor Jennie Brand-Miller. “Up until now, there has been a heavy
focus on the role of animal protein in the development of the human
brain over the last two million years. The importance of carbohydrate,
particularly in the form of starch-rich plant foods, has been largely
overlooked. Our research suggests that dietary carbohydrates, along with
meat, were essential for the evolution of modern big-brained humans.”
According
to the researchers, the high glucose demands required for the
development of modern humans’ large brains would not have been met on a
low carbohydrate diet. The human brain uses up to 25 per cent of the
body’s energy budget and up to 60 per cent of blood glucose. Human
pregnancy and lactation, in particular, place additional demands on the
body’s glucose budget, along with increased body size and the need for
mobility and dietary flexibility.
Starches would have
been readily available to early human populations in the form of tubers,
seeds and some fruits and nuts. But it was only with the advent of
cooking that such foods became more easily digested, leading to
“transformational” changes in human evolution, said co-author Professor
Les Copeland.
Researchers also point to evidence in
salivary amylase genes, which increase the amount of salivary enzymes
produced to digest starch. While modern humans have on average six
copies of salivary amylase genes, other primates have only an average of
two. The exact point at which salivary amylase genes multiplied is
uncertain, but genetic evidence suggests it occurred in the last million
years, around the same time that cooking became a common practice.
“After cooking became widespread, starch digestion advanced and became
the source of preformed dietary glucose that permitted the acceleration
in brain size,” Professor Copeland said. In terms of energy supplied to
an increasingly large brain, increased starch consumption may have
provided a substantial evolutionary advantage.”
According
to the researchers, a diet similar to that which gave us our large
brains in the Paleolithic era would be positive for human health. That
diet should include underground starchy foods such as potatoes, taro,
yams and sweet potatoes, as well as more recently introduced starchy
grains like wheat, rye, barley, corn, oats, quinoa and millet. “It is
clear that our physiology should be optimised to the diet we experienced
in our evolutionary past,” Professor Brand-Miller said. “Eating meat
may have kickstarted the evolution of bigger brains, but cooked starchy
foods, together with more salivary amylase genes, made us smarter
still.”
Read more:
- The Importance of Dietary Carbohydrate in Human Evolution
- Hardy, K., Buckley, S., Copeland, L. 2018. Pleistocene dental calculus: Recovering information on Paleolithic food items, medicines, paleoenvironment and microbes. Evolutionary Anthropology.
- Hardy, K. 2018. Plant use in the Lower and Middle Palaeolithic: Food, medicine, and raw materials. Quaternary Science Reviews. 191:393-405.
- Copeland, L., Hardy, K. 2018. Archaeological Starch. Agronomy 8(1), 4; doi:
WHAT’S HOT?
PORRIDGE OATS
For a high-energy breakfast that sticks to
your ribs, warms you up on a crisp day and keeps you firing till
lunchtime, it’s hard to go past porridge made with traditional oats – a
good source of soluble fibre, B vitamins, vitamin E, iron and zinc. Oats
make really great porridge because they become comfortingly thick and
soothingly creamy when you cook them, thanks partly to their soluble
fibre. Exuding a warmth and goodness health halo they are so successful
at kick-starting the day for porridge people and muesli fans alike that
they have become stuck in the stacks in the breakfast cereal aisle. But
oat groats (de-hulled oat grain) have a place at the table for other
meals, too. You can use them in salads, pilafs and soups instead of
pearl barley or spelt.
WHAT’S IN PORRIDGE? Half a cup (about 130g or 4½oz) of
cooked traditional rolled oats have about 270 kilojoules (65 calories),
2g protein, 1.5g fat, 10g carbs (0g sugars/ 10g starches), 1g fibre, 0mg
sodium, 48mg potassium.
WHAT ABOUT GI? SUGiRS
have tested various types of porridge oats over the years and have found
they can range from low GI to rather high. Why the difference? It’s all
in the processing. After harvesting, raw oats are cleaned and hulled.
Oat groats or whole oats are the de-hulled oat grain (they have not been
GI tested but we would guesstimate they would have a low GI value
similar to steel cut oats). You can use them in salads, pilafs and soups
instead of pearl barley or spelt. Oat groats are then processed to
produce a range of products to make your breakfast porridge including:
- Steel-cut oats (also called pin-head or Irish oats) are groats that have been chopped up with a steel blade (GI 42–52 depending on the brand).
- Scottish oats are stone-ground oat groats.
- Traditional rolled oats (old-fashioned oatmeal) are groats that are steamed (to soften) then rolled to produce flakes (GI 57)
- Instant oats (quick oats) are very fine oat flakes milled from steamed steel-cut oats or groats (GI 82). Some brands are pre-cooked so you just add hot water to make porridge. Some have flavourings and sweeteners added.
Overnight oats (oats soaked in milk overnight and eaten cold the next morning) are increasingly popular for brekkie. GI Labs in Toronto recently carried out a randomised controlled trial to see if the oats served this way retained their lower glycemic response. Dr Thomas Wolever, Principal Investigator at GI Labs, and the study’s lead researcher says: “Both the method of preparation and whether a food is consumed hot or cold have significant effects on postprandial glucose and insulin responses. In this study, we demonstrated that when oats are soaked in milk (cow’s) overnight, they retain their low glycemic and insulinemic impact.” Check out their findings in “Read more”.
Read more:
PRODUCT REVIEW
POTATO, PASTA OR RICE? WHAT’S IN YOUR STARCHY CARB PICK?
Potato,
pasta or rice? We thought it would be interesting to compare what you
are putting on your plate. For the potato we followed the standard
dietitian guidelines for a serve (if you like two potatoes, double the
numbers). For pasta and rice, we used the serving sizes recommended on
the packet and opted for the white stuff because that’s what most people
choose. With wholemeal pasta or brown rice, you’ll be adding a little
more fibre to your day. Peel the potato and you lose a little fibre.
POTATO, SCRUBBED
Ingredients: Potato.
PASTA (Penne)
Ingredients (Barilla Penne Rigate): Durum wheat semolina, water.
What’s in 100 grams of cooked penne? As Barilla only
provide nutrition information for dry pasta on the packet, here are the
numbers you need to compare cooked penne with cooked rice. 100g al dente
penne (cooked from about 35g dry pasta) provides 555kJ/135 calories and
25g available carbohydrate.
RICE (Low GI White)
Ingredients (SunRice Doongara): Doongara Low GI White Rice
PERSPECTIVES WITH DR ALAN BARCLAY
HOT POTATOES
While they are a pariah in many parts of the
developed world, due to the current popularity of low carbohydrate
diets, potatoes have been eaten and enjoyed all over the world for
centuries. Even today, roots and tubers are the third largest
carbohydrate-containing food source in the world, with potatoes
representing nearly half of those consumed.
Potatoes are classified as a starchy vegetable, due to the fact
that they are predominantly composed of carbohydrate (86% of energy),
and most of that carbohydrate is starch. Whatever the variety of potato,
potato starch consists of amylopectin and amylose in a fairly constant
ratio of 3:1, which is one of the reasons why the average potato has a
high GI.
The average GI of potatoes is 77, with a range
between 54 to 101, depending on the variety and how they are cooked and
eaten. A medium-sized (around 150g) boiled potato provides
approximately 23 g of available carbohydrate, so the average GL is 15,
which is moderate.
Despite their generally high GI,
research from single meal studies suggests that boiled potatoes are more
filling (satiating) than equal kilojoule (calorie) portions of other
common carbohydrate-rich foods like bread, rice and pasta.
A
small proportion of the starch found in potatoes is resistant to
enzymatic degradation in the small intestine and therefore reaches the
large intestine essentially intact, where it becomes fuel for the
microbiome. The amount of resistant starch in a potato depends on how it
is cooked and eaten:
- boiled potatoes – 2.4g per 100g
- cooled-and-reheated potatoes – 3.5g per 100g
- baked potatoes – 3.6g per 100g
- cold potatoes (whether originally baked or boiled) – 4.3g per 100g.
Potatoes contain a variety of essential vitamins and minerals most notably vitamins B (B6, riboflavin, thiamin and folate), C and the minerals potassium, magnesium, and iron. A medium-sized boiled potato provides 17 mg of vitamin C – more than half of the estimated average requirement for adults. Potatoes provide one of the most concentrated sources of potassium with a medium-sized boiled potato providing 647 mg, or nearly 20% of the Adequate Intake for adults – significantly more than those foods commonly known as high in potassium, like bananas, oranges, and broccoli.
While they are not particularly high in iron compared to meats, poultry and seafood, potatoes are a reasonable source of non-heme (i.e., plant sourced) iron, and importantly, the bioavailability of iron in potatoes exceeds that of many other iron-rich vegetables owing to extremely low or non-existent levels of antinutrients, chelators and ligands that inhibit iron absorption in the gut (e.g., tannins, oxalates, phytates) and high levels of vitamin C, which enhances iron absorption from the gut.
Frying potatoes (French fries and potato crisps/chips) increases their energy (kilojoules or calories) density, and acrylamide levels, and may also make them high in saturated and trans fats (depending on the fats/oils used) and sodium (from added salt). Also, the kind of potato used to make hot chips commercially has a very high GI, so the average GI of French fries is 75.
So, the answer to “should I be eating potatoes?” is yes. Boiled, baked or cold potatoes (potato salad) are a delicious, nutritious and very affordable staple that can be included in moderation in a healthy balanced diet. However, save fried potatoes for special occasions because they are a treat not daily fare – and be fussy about the fats/oils they are fried in.
Read more:
- Potatoes, Nutrition and Health
- A satiety index of common foods
- Nutrient Reference Values
- Biological value
- Acrylamide Questions and Answers
Alan Barclay, PhD is a consultant dietitian and chef (Cert III). He worked for Diabetes Australia (NSW) from 1998–2014 . He is author/co-author of more than 30 scientific publications, and author/co-author of The good Carbs Cookbook (Murdoch Books), Reversing Diabetes (Murdoch Books), The Low GI Diet: Managing Type 2 Diabetes (Hachette Australia) and The Ultimate Guide to Sugars and Sweeteners (The Experiment, New York).
Contact: You can follow him on Twitter or check out his website.
KEEPING IT GREEN – EATING FOR BODY AND PLANET
OUR CLOTHING CONUNDRUM
OK so clothing isn’t really about
eating, but it’s a household issue so we thought it was worth talking
about. According to ABC’s program War on Waste, Australians throw a
massive 6000kg of clothing into landfill every 10 minutes. For those of
you thinking you are in the clear because you donate old clothes to
charity, sorry to burst your bubble but 85% of donated clothing ends up
in landfill. Charities are groaning under the weight of donations.
Producing a single item of clothing uses a massive amount of
resources. According to Fashion Revolution, 2,720 litres of water is
used to make just one t-shirt. That’s how much water we normally drink
in around 3 years! Not to mention the greenhouse gases released into the
air along with the fertilisers, pesticides and toxic dyes that are
contaminating waterways. The True Cost movie uncovers the devastating
impact that chemicals from textile production have on the health of
local communities. Communities located in cotton producing areas are
exposed to pesticides and some leather tanneries contaminate drinking
water. Sadly, these communities experience high levels of particular
diseases like cancer and early death.
What Can You Do to Help?
- Choose versatile pieces that you love and will wear over and over again. For special occasions consider renting or borrowing an outfit.
- Buy pre-loved vintage items from a charity store to rescue an item from landfill and buy quality items at a bargain price.
- Support sustainable companies like those using organic cotton, recycled materials and those avoiding toxic dyes. Check out Greenpeace’s list of brands that are working to eliminate hazardous chemicals.
- Spend a little more on well-made timeless items. Look for heavier fabrics as well as strong and tidy stitching so they last longer.
- Synthetic fabrics like polyester, nylon and acrylic are types of plastic so when they are washed, tiny plastic particles enter our waterways. Instead choose natural fabrics like cotton (e.g. denim), linen, silk or wool that don’t release micro-plastics and decompose faster in landfill. A linen sleeveless top can decompose in as little as 2 weeks compared to a polyester dress that may remain in landfill for over 200 years.
- Use aprons when cooking to protect clothes from hot oil and food stains. Launder dark items inside out to preserve their colour as they may fade in the wash when rubbing against other garments. Do up zips or hooks and turn garments inside out so fabric doesn’t snag.
- Learn how to sew on a button or re-dye your favourite black jeans that have faded over time.
- When items are beyond repair, give them a second life. Turn old worn out clothing, tea towels and tablecloths into shopping bags, aprons, cleaning rags and much more!
- Be mindful of the human and environmental costs of fast fashion.
- Buy only what you need.
- Choose good quality products made from natural fabrics that will last longer.
- Only launder garments when they are dirty.
- Repair worn textiles or get creative and turn them into new useful items.
- https://iview.abc.net.au/show/war-on-waste/series/1/video/DC1624H013S00#playing
- http://www.abc.net.au/btn/classroom/fashion-waste/10523106
- https://www.fashionrevolution.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Website_HTBAFR_Booklet_BCxFR_Print.pdf
- https://www.wwf.ch/sites/default/files/doc-2017-09/2017-09-WWF-Report-Changing_fashion_2017_EN.pdf
- https://www.greenpeace.org/archive-international/en/campaigns/detox/fashion/detox-catwalk/?ea.tracking.id=gpi_bos
Nicole Senior is an Accredited Nutritionist, author, consultant, cook, food enthusiast and mother who strives to make sense of nutrition science and delights in making healthy food delicious. Contact: You can follow her on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram or check out her website.
GOOD CARBS FOOD FACTS A TO Z
SWEET POTATO
They were cultivating sweet potatoes in
Central and South America for about 7–8000 years before Columbus
arrived. He thought they looked like yams and tasted like chestnuts, and
shipped them back to Spain along with chillies and chocolate. Like
ducks to water they took to local conditions and thrived in the
Mediterranean climate.
This was just the beginning of their global conquest – they are
now grown in more developing countries than any other root crop. They
have a big advantage over regular potatoes – their skin does not develop
green patches. They are easy to prepare – peel or scrub and roast,
boil, steam, mash, add to stir-fries or use in place of pumpkin in
desserts (although they are not as sweet and are much starchier, so they
will thicken a dish more).
Sweet potatoes come in a
variety of colours, shapes and sizes. It’s the orange-fleshed sweet
potato that we like to roast and use in recipes for its colour and sweet
flavour. It also has a moderate GI value (65). The white-fleshed sweet
potatoes that have been tested have a high GI (75).
When
shopping, look for small to medium even toned sweet potatoes with firm
skin that are free from blemishes, cracks and soft spots. They should be
plump in the middle and tapered ends. Buying similar sized ones makes
it easier to get cooking times right. They are good keepers. Store them
in a cool, dark, well ventilated place for up to 2 weeks. Don’t store
sweet potatoes in the fridge – that will promote softening, sprouting
and can cause them to develop a permanently hard centre.
Source: The Good Carbs Cookbook (by Alan Barclay, Kate McGhie and Philippa Sandall) published by Murdoch Books
IN THE GI NEWS KITCHEN
THE GOOD CARBS COOKBOOK The Good Carbs Cookbook (by Alan Barclay, Kate McGhie and Philippa Sandall) published by Murdoch Books
helps you choose the best fruits, vegetables, beans, peas, lentils,
seeds, nuts and grains and explains how to use them in 100 refreshingly
nourishing recipes to enjoy every day, for breakfast, brunch, lunch,
dinner and dessert. The recipes are easy to prepare, (mostly) quick to
cook, long in flavour and full of sustaining goodness, so you feel
fuller for longer. There is a nutritional analysis for each recipe and
tips and helpful hints for the novice, nervous, curious or time-starved
cook.
PAN ROASTED SWEET POTATO AND BEETROOT WITH SHARP GRAPEFRUIT GLAZE
Roasting is one of the easiest and best-tasting ways to cook
autumn-winter
veggies – just toss everything with oil, throw them in a baking dish and
cook them in a hot oven. The more the surface area of veggies to be
roasted the crisper they become. The
aptly named, sweet potatoes turn remarkably sweet as they cook and
caramelise while the roasted beets provide a bright colour contrast. The
sharp sweet-sour glaze (lemon, blood orange or pomelo can replace
grapefruit) adds significantly to the dish’s Vitamin P – Pleasure that
is – eating enjoyment. Preparation time: 15 minutes • Cooking time: 35
minutes • Serves: 6
6 small beetroot
1 medium (orange-fleshed) sweet potato
2 medium red onions
⅓ cup balsamic vinegar
¼ cup olive oil
1 tablespoon finely grated grapefruit zest
¼ cup grapefruit juice
2 tablespoons currants
2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts
Preheat
oven to 200°C/400°F (fan-forced 180°C/350°F). • Simmer the beetroot in a
large pot of water for 10 minutes. Drain into a colander and when cool
enough to handle, peel and halve. • Peel the sweet potato and cut into
chunks the size of the beetroot pieces. Slice the onion into thick
wedges and put into a roasting pan with the beetroot, sweet potato,
balsamic, oil, grapefruit zest and juice. • Tumble them all together and
roast for about 20 minutes or until the vegetables are crisp-tender and
slightly caramelised. • Remove the pan from the oven and sprinkle over
the currants and pine nuts. Give the pan a few quick sharp tosses and
serve.
Per serve
970kJ/230 calories; 4.5g
protein; 13g fat (includes 1.5g saturated fat; saturated : unsaturated
fat ratio 0.13); 22g available carbs (includes 16g sugars and 8g
starches); 6g fibre; 60mg sodium; 560mg potassium; sodium : potassium
ratio 0.1
GOOD GUT HEALTH
The Glycemic Index Foundation,
a not-for- profit health promotion charity committed to providing
people with the tools to help them improve their wellbeing with healthy
low GI healthy eating principles, have teamed up with the CSIRO to
promote the online Total Wellbeing Diet Gut Health Program. Find out how
you can participate here.
BROWN RICE, CHICKEN AND ROAST VEGETABLE SALAD WITH PESTO
Use
a pre-cooked chicken if you don’t have time to roast your own. You can
also prepare the roast vegetables ahead of time and serve cold, or
re-heated with the salad. Serves 2
200g/7oz lean chicken breast
Butternut pumpkin, 0.25 average pumpkin(s), diced
1 medium zucchini, diced
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
Olive oil spray
1 x 250g (9oz) pouch SunRice Medium Grain Brown Steamed Rice in 90 Seconds
2 cups baby spinach
2 tablespoons basil pesto
Preheat
the oven to 200°C/400°F (180°C/350°F fan forced). • Place the chicken
breast, pumpkin and zucchini on a lined baking tray. Sprinkle over the
smoked paprika, spray with cooking oil and toss well to combine. • Roast
for 20–25 minutes or until golden and tender. Once cooled slice the
chicken thinly across the grain. • To serve combine the brown rice,
roasted vegetables and baby spinach in a large bowl. Top with sliced
chicken and pesto.
Per serve
2151kJ/514.5
calories; 33.6g protein; 15.6g fat (includes 2g saturated fat;
saturated : unsaturated fat ratio 0.15); 56.1g available carbs (includes
10.2g sugars; 37.3g starches); 8.6g fibre; 336.9mg sodium
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Nutritional analysis To analyse Australian foods, beverages, processed products and recipes, we use FoodWorks which contains the AusNut and Nuttab databases. If necessary, this is supplemented with data from www.calorieking.com.au or http://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/search.
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