GI Values with Fiona Atkinson

To have your product GI tested, contact an accredited GI testing laboratory
North America
Dr Alexandra Jenkins
Glycemic Index Laboratories
36 Lombard Street, Suite 100
Toronto, Ontario M5C 2X3 Canada
Phone +1 416 861 0506
Email info@gilabs.com
Web www.gilabs.com

Australia
Fiona Atkinson



Research Manager, Sydney University Glycemic Index Research Service (SUGiRS)
Human Nutrition Unit, School of Molecular and Microbial Biosciences
Sydney University
NSW 2006 Australia
Phone + 61 2 9351 6018
Fax: + 61 2 9351 6022
Email sugirs@mmb.usyd.edu.au
Web www.glycemicindex.com

New Zealand
Dr Tracy Perry
The Glycemic Research Group, Dept of Human Nutrition
University of Otago
PO Box 56 Dunedin New Zealand
Phone +64 3 479 7508
Email tracy.perry@stonebow.otago.ac.nz
Web glycemicindex.otago.ac.nz

See The New Glucose Revolution on YouTube

Making the Most of GI News

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GI News—June 2009

• Who really needs a gluten-free diet?
• Money-saving low GI recipes
• 5 tips to reduce your risk of diabetes
• More bang with low GI foods for your exercise buck
  
• GI database updated with over 2,480 foods
• New GI Symbol Program website
  

‘It’s a myth that everyone should be on a gluten-free diet,’ says Shelley Case a registered dietitian and a member of the Medical Advisory Boards of the Celiac Disease Foundation and Gluten Intolerance Group in the US and Professional Advisory Board of the Canadian Celiac Association during May’s Celiac Awareness Month. In Food for Thought, Shelley explains why it’s vital to see your physician before adopting a gluten-free diet, and dietitian and diabetes educator Kate Marsh explains why there’s more to gluten-free living than focusing on foods to avoid, and why gluten-free diets can be high GI.

Good eating, good health and good reading.

GI News Editor: Philippa Sandall
Web Design and Management: Scott Dickinson, PhD

Food for Thought

Who really needs a gluten-free diet?
‘These days, going gluten-free is being hailed as the solution to everything from autism and ADHD to obesity, but going gluten-free before being screened for celiac disease (an autoimmune disorder that affects 1 in 100 people in many Western countries) can be hazardous to your health! This is because removing the gluten from your diet may prevent your physician from being able to diagnose it accurately,’ she says. ‘It’s absolutely imperative to see a physician before adopting a gluten-free diet.’


Shelley Case, RD

‘For people with celiac disease, following a strict gluten-free diet (no wheat, rye and barley) for life is a critical medical intervention. In fact it's the ONLY treatment available and as such must be followed very carefully.’

Celiac disease is the most common and one of the most under-diagnosed hereditary autoimmune diseases. Typical symptoms include:

• Fatigue, weakness and lethargy
• Low iron levels or unexplained anemia that does not improve or recurs after taking iron supplements
• Wind, bloating and abdominal distension
• Stomach cramps
• Diarrhea
• Constipation
• Nausea and vomiting
• Weight loss, and/or
• Poor weight gain, delayed growth and delayed puberty in children.

Some less common symptoms in adults include:

• Easy bruising of the skin
• Mouth ulcers
• Infertility and miscarriages
• Muscle spasms/cramps due to low calcium levels
• Deficiencies of vitamins B12, A, D, E and K
• Dental problems
• Poor memory and concentration, and
• Bone and joint pains.

If you have one or more of these signs or symptoms, make an appointment with your doctor for a check-up. They should refer you to a gastroenterologist who specializes in celiac disease.

‘The only way to diagnose celiac disease is with a blood test and small intestinal biopsy and gluten must be present in the diet in order for these tests to be accurate,’ emphasizes Case. ‘Starting the diet before the test could easily result in more people being mis-diagnosed.’

Dietitian Kate Marsh, author of Low GI Gluten-free Living Made Easy, adds: ‘There’s much more to gluten-free living than focusing on foods to avoid. Eating well is a key to good health and preventing other long-term health problems like diabetes and heart disease. While it is great to see an ever-increasing range of gluten-free foods becoming available and making life easier for those with celiac disease, unfortunately many of them are highly processed and some are high in fat and added sugar – two ingredients that are naturally gluten-free! Gluten-free diets also tend to have a high GI because many low GI staples such as whole wheat kernel breads, pasta and barley are eliminated because they contain gluten. The gluten-free alternatives, due to their ingredients and processing methods, are often quickly digested and absorbed, raising blood glucose and insulin levels.’

Low GI Gluten-free Living, which shows you how to incorporate low GI carbs into a gluten-free diet, is available from books stores and Amazon.

For more information on celiac disease and a gluten-free diet, contact your local celiac association or check out Shelley Case’s website.

News Briefs

5 tips to reduce your risk of diabetes
When researchers checked out the lifestyle habits of some 4,900 adults, aged 65 or older and without diabetes over a 10-year period, they found that the factors associated with low risk for diabetes were:

• physical activity
• a healthy diet
• no smoking
• moderate alcohol use
• not being overweight

The researchers showed that 80% of new cases of diabetes are attributable to these risk factors, a number that increases when obesity is included. 'Our findings suggest that, even later in life, the great majority of cases of diabetes are related to lifestyle factors,' write Dariush Mozaffarian (Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA) and colleagues in the April 27, 2009 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine. 'Our results support the need for emphasising healthy and achievable physical activity and dietary goals among older adults, including:

• moderate leisure-time activity and walking pace,
• higher intake of dietary fiber and polyunsaturated fat, and
• lower intake of trans fat and easily digestible [high GI] carbohydrates.'

More bang with low GI foods for your exercise buck
‘If you are trying to shed fat, you may consider eating low GI foods before you exercise,’ suggests Dr Emma Stevenson after a recent University of Nottingham study published in the Journal of Nutrition found that a low GI breakfast before exercising could help with weight loss because it increases fat oxidation both at rest and during subsequent exercise.


Dr Emma Stevenson

In the study, eight healthy, sedentary but not overweight women ate either a high GI breakfast (cornflakes and milk, white bread and jam and a carbonated glucose drink) or a low GI one (natural muesli and milk, tinned peaches and yoghurt and apple juice) in test sessions held several days apart (each breakfast contained the same number of calories and same proportion of those calories from carbs, fat and protein). Three hours later they did a 60-minute walk on a treadmill, which was set to make them work but not to the point of exhaustion, before having lunch.

Blood glucose was higher – as expected – after the high GI breakfast than the low GI one, and had returned to normal levels by the time the women started to exercise. But plasma free fatty acids (FFA) – which indicate the amount of fat being used as an energy source – began to rise two hours after the low GI breakfast was consumed. Exercise led to a rapid increase in FFAs in both groups – but concentrations were higher in the low GI group. After lunch the concentration of FFAs was the same in both groups, but overall fat oxidation was higher in the low GI group than the high GI group. ‘A low GI breakfast also had an impact on appetite, with the women feeling fuller for longer after they’d eaten these types of foods,’ said Dr Stevenson.



How high glucose might damage blood vessels
Diabetes increases the risk of cardiovascular disease such as heart disease and stroke, even when blood glucose levels are under control. In fact, about 75% of people with diabetes die from some form of heart or blood vessel disease, according to the American Heart Association. Medical College of Georgia researchers now suspect increased modification of proteins by a glucose-derived molecule is a player in vascular problems associated with hypertension, stroke and obesity as well. The found that a decreased ability of blood vessels to relax resulted from increased activity of a natural mechanism for altering protein form and function, according to Dr Rita C.Tostes, physiologist in the MCG School of Medicine.

One aftermath of high glucose levels is low levels of the powerful vasodilator nitric oxide in blood vessels, a shortfall that increases the risk of high blood pressure and eventual narrowing of the vessels, researchers reported at the American Society of Hypertension 24th Annual Scientific Program in San Francisco during a joint session with the Council for High Blood Pressure.

Most of the glucose in the body is carried by the blood stream to the body’s cells where it provides fuel for energy. However about 5% of all glucose is converted to O-GlcNAc, one of the sugar types that can modify proteins.



Inside the blood vessel walls of healthy mice, MCG researchers found increased activity by O-GlcNAc competes with another mechanism for modifying proteins called phosphorylation. In blood vessels, phorphorylation modifies the enzyme that produces nitric oxide, called nitric oxide synthase, so that it makes more of the blood vessel dilator. But add more O-GlcNAc to the mix and it seems to beat phosphorylation to the punch so there is the opposite result. The longer O-GlcNAc levels were high, the worse the resulting problem, says Victor Lima, a graduate student at the University of Sao Paulo working with Dr Tostes.

An animal model of hypertension seemed to confirm the finding that the more O-GlcNAc, the more blood vessels contract because these animals had higher O-GlcNAc levels. 'Now we are trying to see why this is happening and what comes first. Is increased blood pressure leading to changed O-GlcNAc or are augmented levels of O-GlcNAc contributing to the change we see in the vasculature of hypertensives?' Dr Tostes says. 'If we know how this changes vascular function, we can understand some of the dysfunction that we see in diabetes.'

To make sure they were targeting the O-GlcNAc sugar and not dealing with other effects of glucose on blood vessels, the researchers blocked the enzyme OGA, an enzyme that normally removes O-GlcNAc from proteins so they can revert to their normal state.

If the findings continue to hold true, drugs similar to those they use in the lab to inhibit OGA or OGT, the enzyme that adds O-GlcNAc to the protein, could one day help reduce the significant cardiovascular risk associated with diabetes, Mr Lima says.

International Diabetes Federation streamlines website



‘We want to serve the needs of people with diabetes, people interested in learning more about diabetes, of governments and researchers looking for evidentiary data about the diabetes epidemic, and of diabetes and health associations looking for global material on diabetes care, prevention and education,’ said Mario Fetz, IDF Director of External Relations. www.idf.org is available in three languages and is integrated with Facebook and Twitter.

Foodwatch with Glenn Cardwell

Mushrooms and cancer


Glenn Caldwell

Mushroom eaters get many health benefits (one serve provides more than 20% of our daily needs of the essential nutrients riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, biotin, copper and selenium). Back in October 2008, GI News reported on a US study that found mushrooms to be an ideal way to cut calories without losing out on flavour or a sense of fullness. Now the mushroom is showing itself to be a tasty way of stacking the odds in our favour against developing the top two cancers that hit non-smokers.

If you are a non-smoker, then, statistically speaking, the cancer you are most likely to get is either breast or prostate cancer, each of which kill around 3000 Australians every year (compared to 7,500 people dying of lung cancer). Yet a solution could be a close as your local supermarket. According to a report from the University of Western Australia published in the March issue of the International Journal of Cancer, one of our most popular foods could greatly reduce your risk of getting these cancers.



Mushrooms good to breasts Researchers, led by Dr Min Zhang, studied 1000 Chinese women with breast cancer and compared them to 1000 control women without cancer. Their findings reveal that those women who consumed the most fresh mushrooms were around two-thirds less likely to develop breast cancer in comparison to those that didn’t eat mushrooms. There was a further risk reduction if they also drank a cup of green tea each day.

You may be thinking that the women in the study were eating exotic mushrooms that we rarely see in the supermarket. Not so. The most common mushroom consumed was the button mushroom, and 10 g (about 1/3 oz) or one small mushroom a day was enough to lessen the chance of breast cancer.

Mushrooms good to prostates too Earlier research published in the journal Cancer Research in 2006 has revealed that unique compounds in mushrooms inhibit two enzymes – aromatase and 5-alpha reductase – which encourage the progression of both breast and prostate cancer respectively in mice. The results have proved so encouraging that funding has just been granted to conduct human studies in the US to observe the effect of mushrooms in those who have had breast or prostate cancer.

First human research The study by Dr Zhang was the first human research showing a link between button mushrooms and a lower risk of breast cancer. A previous Korean study looking at other types of mushrooms also noted a link between mushrooms and a lower risk of breast cancer.

So, start stacking the odds in your favour with Johanna Burani’s Pappardelle con funghi or Diane Temple’s Mushroom minestrone with barley in this month’s GI News.

Glenn Cardwell is an Accredited Practising Dietitian consulting to the mushroom farmers of Australia. More information on mushrooms is available at www.mushroomsforlife.net. Make sure you check out Glenn's website.

Low GI Recipes of the Month

American dietitian, Johanna Burani invites GI News readers to try recipes from her Italian kitchen (photographed by Sergio Burani).


Johanna Burani

Pappardelle con funghi
Egg noodles with mushrooms
Laughing Cow cheese wedges are pasteurized spreadable Swiss flavor cheese wedges.
Serves 4

450 g (1 lb) fresh mushrooms (crimini, baby portabella, Swiss brown)
12 sprigs fresh flat-leaf parsley, minced (approximately 1/2 cup)
6 Laughing Cow cheese wedges, light
1 cup marsala wine (sweet red dessert wine)
230 g (8 oz) egg pappardelle

• Use a damp paper towel to wipe mushrooms clean. Cut each one into 4–5 vertical slices.
• Thoroughly coat a large skillet with vegetable spray and warm over a medium heat for 1 minute. Add the mushrooms and cook for 6 minutes. Stir frequently to cook evenly. Lower the heat if necessary. Stir in the parsley and simmer for 1 minute. Remove skillet from heat.
• Drop the cheese wedges into a small saucepan, pressing down with the back of a fork to squash them. Add the marsala. Stir with a wooden spoon to combine and cook the sauce over a medium–high heat for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Tip the sauce into the mushroom mixture and keep covered and warm while the pasta is cooking.
• Cook the pasta according to package directions until al dente. Be careful not to overcook it. This type of pasta only needs 4–5 minutes once it comes to a boil. Drain.
• Pour the pasta over the mushroom sauce, toss, and serve immediately (fresh egg noodles absorb liquids very quickly). If you like you can add grated parmiggiano reggiano cheese.

Per serve
Energy: 1612 kJ/ 384 cals; Protein 14 g; Fat 5 g (includes 2 g saturated fat and 80 mg cholesterol); Carbs 53 g; Fibre 1 g; 538 mg sodium

Each month, GI News readers can eat well and save money with Diane Temple (co-author of a new book, Money Saving Meals). Diane shares her tips on cutting back on food bills and still enjoying fresh-tasting, easily prepared, seasonal, satisfying and delicious low GI meals that don’t compromise on quality and flavour one little bit.


Diane Temple

Mushroom minestrone with barley
Use any fresh mushrooms you like in any combination for this – white (button), crimini (Swiss brown), baby portabella or field (flat) mushrooms or any of the more exotic ones). If you only want to use one type of mushroom, I would suggest using cheap flat mushrooms for colour and flavour. The real aroma booster for this soup comes from the dried porcini. Don’t gasp. Although this may seem a pricy option, you only need a pinch or three to pack a punch. I don’t think this soup needs any garlic, but if you can’t live without it, sauté a chopped clove with the onion and other vegetables. Preparation time: 15 minutes; cooking time: 40 minutes.
Serves 4

10 g (1/3 oz) dried porcini mushrooms
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 large carrot, peeled or scrubbed and diced
2 stalks celery, diced
½ cup pearl barley, rinsed
6 cups hot water mixed with 1 tablespoon chicken or vegetable stock powder
250 g (9 oz) flat mushrooms
2 tablespoons chopped flat leaf parsley
4 slices sourdough or grainy low GI bread, to serve

• Place the porcini mushrooms in a heatproof bowl and pour over ½ cup of boiling water. Set aside while you prepare the vegetables.
• Heat the oil in a large saucepan and cook the onion, carrot and celery for 10 minutes on a low heat until soft, stirring occasionally. Add the porcini mushrooms and the soaking liquid, the barley and the chicken (or vegetable) stock, stir and bring to the boil. Cover and simmer gently for 30 minutes.
• Cut the flat mushrooms in half then slice them crosswise and add them to the soup. Cover, and continue to simmer for another 10 minutes or until the barley is tender to the bite then stir in parsley. Ladle into soup bowls and serve with bread.

Per serve (with 1 slice bread)
Energy: 1221 kJ/ 292 cals; Protein 9 g; Fat 11 g (includes 2 g saturated fat); Carbs 35 g; Fibre 7 g

Stocktake: Diane’s nifty & thrifty cooking tip of the month
Stock helps make great tasting soups, but it needn’t cost the earth, take hours to prepare, or come in a carton or can. If you do the maths, you’ll find that stock powders deliver the best value for money (Australian dollars quoted here).

• 1 litre carton (4 cups) chicken stock about $3.10
• 4 cups chicken stock made with stock cubes about 40 cents
• 4 cups chicken stock made with Vegeta stock powder about 15 cents

You also have more control of the flavour – you can follow instructions (usually 1 teaspoon stock powder per cup of water) or use a bit more or less as you wish. Some brands are high on flavour, low on fillers and additives, salt reduced and gluten free. However, hold the salt shaker. Like other stock products on the supermarket shelf, stock powders can be on the salty side, so don’t add any extra. And keep in mind any salty toppings you are serving like Parmesan cheese.

Busting Food Myths with Nicole Senior

Myth: Foods labelled as ‘Natural’ are healthier


Nicole Senior

Fact: ‘Natural’ claims mean very little
To find healthier foods, check the ingredients list and nutrition information panel on the label, and try eating more fresh foods that don’t need labels. According to Mintel market research, ‘natural’ was the most popular claim made on new food and drink products around the world in 2008. In Australia, a Galaxy Research survey on 1,100 adults found 99% of Australians are consuming more natural and unprocessed foods to improve their health. But are we always getting something healthier when we buy foods with ‘natural’ on the label?

Not when you think in terms of adverse nutrients, such as saturated fat and sodium. Salt, butter, lard and cream are natural, however they are disastrous to our heath when eaten in excess, and surveys show we are still eating too much of these. Organic claims carry similar health cred with consumers, however may not actually deliver the health benefits you might expect. While organic food is better for the environment, it is not necessarily better for your health. An organic muffin made with white flour, butter and sugar is still a high calorie, high saturated fat snack with poor nutritional value – the addition of blueberries does little to redeem it.



I once read ‘organic crystallised sugar cane juice’ on the label of a so-called ‘health bar’ – a classic case of sugar dressed up as natural, dressed up as healthy. Similarly I have encountered an organic ‘health bar’ made with white flour, butter, sugar and oats with enough saturated fat to exceed the entire day’s maximum, and as many calories as an entire meal. Another obvious example is ‘natural’ confectionery, which contains as much sugar and calories as the regular stuff, and offers no health benefit for most people (except perhaps a misplaced reduction in guilt).

In Australia, the regulations for ‘natural’ claims are very open to interpretation. In fact, there is no formal definition of ‘natural’ within the Food Standards Code, so consumer protection is via a set of “guidelines” for interpreting the Trade Practices Act from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC). While corrective action is sometimes taken for flagrant breaches, there are thousands of foods to police, limited resources to police them, and very expensive court time needed to bring companies making dodgy ‘natural’ claims into line.

Is our hankering for ‘natural’ foods a sign of our general disillusionment toward the modern pace of life and our complex food environment? Perhaps ‘natural’ is a word that promises deliverance from the time and stress of interpreting nutrition labels? This same simplicity rationale is behind traffic light labelling: red means unhealthy and green means healthy, right? Well, no not always, and so much depends on the individual dietary context, frequency and amount of the food. Like a lot of areas in nutrition, the simple way doesn’t always guarantee the best way, and creates much collateral damage.

If we are to make the best of our sophisticated food supply, we must read and understand the nutrition information on our food. A good first step is relinquish our desperate grip on the ‘natural’ claim as a healthy signpost. Sometimes ‘natural’ is anything but healthy. Oh, and eat more fresh foods without labels – much food goodness needs no advertising.

For more heart-healthy eating advice, tips and recipes go to www.eattobeatcholesterol.com.au

Move It & Lose It with Prof Trim

Prof Trim’s 5-point fitness test
How do you rate?

Size refers to body fat. This is related to fitness, but not perfectly. It is possible to be fit AND fat and activity levels are more important than weight loss in people who just can’t lose weight.

All you need to do is move.

Stamina is aerobic capacity. It’s a good indication of cardiovascular (heart-lung) fitness. It can be increased by regularly moving at increasing levels of intensity.

A simple home screening question is: “Do you regularly (ie. daily or almost daily) carry out exercise for the sole purpose of improving your health. or increasing your physical fitness.” If the answer is ‘yes’, you’re likely to have an acceptable level of stamina.

Strength is the ability of a muscle to produce force on contraction. Strength is improved through resistance type activities like weight lifting, rubber straps, aquarobics, exercise machines etc.



A good test for overall strength is either the strength of abdominal muscles (tested by doing full, bent leg sit-ups) or the quadriceps of the thighs (tested by standing from a chair to your full height in one movement). Test how many of each of these you can do in 20 seconds. More than 12 of either is a reasonable test of strength of these muscle groups.

Suppleness is another name for flexibility. It refers to the ability to stretch muscles through their full range. Suppleness is improved by stretching or in such activities as yoga. As the hamstrings (behind the thighs) are a large muscle group that are important for bending and moving, a measure of the ability to stretch these isa good indication of overall flexibility.

Sitting on the floor, slowly reach forward to see if you can reach between your feet. If you can do so, or if you can exceed this, you are adequately flexible. If you can’t, you need some more stretching exercises.

Stability is important for preventing falls, particularly in older people. It is an indication of the ability of muscles and joints to work in harmony in daily movement.

A simple measure of stability is to stand on one leg for 30 seconds. Imagine a T sign across the shoulders and down the mid-line of the body. If this wavers, during leg standing, it indicates a lack of stability. To makes sure of this, then close the eyes for 30 seconds and check
if it can be done without wavering. Stability is increased by learning how to stand on one leg like this for longer.


Dr Garry Egger aka Prof Trim

For more information on weight loss for men, check out Professor Trim.

Feedback

Why are many high-fibre foods high GI?
Dietary fibre can be divided into soluble and insoluble types. Soluble fibre is often viscous (thick and jellylike) in solution and remains viscous even in the small intestine. It slows down digestion, making it harder for enzymes to digest the food. Foods with more soluble fibre, like apples, oats and legumes, are low GI as a result. Insoluble fibre, on the other hand, is not viscous and doesn’t slow digestion, especially if it’s finely milled. This is why wholemeal bread and white bread have similar GIs, and why brown pasta and brown rice have values similar to those of their white counterparts.



Does retrograded starch ever revert back to regular starch?
Yes, retrograded starch will revert back to normal starch if it’s reheated – perhaps not all of it, but much of it. That’s the basis of making stale bread into ‘fresh’ bread by heating it up in the oven. So twice-cooked potatoes will remain high GI. Even cold potatoes have a high GI because only 10 per cent of the starch is retrograded. Some critics debate about the fact that cooking makes a difference to the GI of potatoes, but the effect is relatively small and the overall message is that potatoes usually have a high GI. Having said that, we are discovering that some varieties, such as Nicola, have a lower GI – in the high 50s. These are usually called waxy potatoes and they are recommended for making a potato salad because they keep their firm shape.

Email your questions about carbs, the GI and blood glucose to: gicurlyquestions@gmail.com

Your Success Stories

'My experience so far has ensured a life time of lower GI eating for myself and my family.' - Fiona
‘I am currently pregnant with my third child. I was diagnosed with PCOS in 1998. Although my specialist at the time specialised in PCOS for her doctorate, I had no understanding of the link between insulin and my condition. I went on to have two rather large sons – 4.44 kg at 37 weeks and 4.62 kg at 35 weeks (yes, that is right!) – and gained a lot of weight during pregnancy. My second son also had blood glucose issues after birth, although I have never tested positive for gestational diabetes. In my journey to try and fall pregnant a third time I finally read a book I had owned for 4 years but never read – The New Glucose Revolution for Managing (Guide to Living Well with PCOS in the US and Canada). What an eye opener! I can’t believe I had not got around to reading it before. As my husband was also trying to lose weight at the time following the South Beach Diet I took the opportunity to switch to a low GI diet. I have since fallen pregnant again and, despite not being rigid in my diet, have only gained a ‘normal;’ amount of weight and the baby is measuring average for dates at 5 months. My experience so far has ensured a life time of lower GI eating for myself and my family (at least while I have some control over what goes in their mouths!)

Update: Fiona had Baby Number 3 in May - a very respectable 3.95 kg. 'I know that is big for some but small for me! No blood glucose issues with the baby either,' says Fiona

Send us your GI success story.

GI Symbol News with Alan Barclay

www.gisymbol.com


Alan Barclay

The GI Symbol Program website has had a complete facelift. Designed to be helpful for consumers, health professionals and the food industry, the site provides clear and simple information on the glycemic index (GI), shopping for healthy low GI foods, the benefits of healthy eating the low GI way, and the steps involved in a food product qualifying to carry the GI Symbol. For GI Symbol Program Licensees, a special Members section provides the evidence base for making nutrition claims about GI, position statements, our nutrient criteria product profiler to make new product development easy, the latest consumer research, and GI Symbol graphics in a variety of popular formats.

The website links to the GI database, GI News and GI testing labs around the world and the search facility enables users to find foods that currently carry the GI Symbol.

Backed by the Glycemic Index Foundation, a collaboration between the University of Sydney, the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation of Australia, and Diabetes Australia, the GI Symbol Program leads the way in helping everybody make healthier food choices every day for every meal for their long term health and well being. Manufacturers pay a license fee to use the certified Symbol and the income is channelled back into education and research.

The GI Symbol is a powerful tool for quickly and reliably making healthy food choices when grocery shopping. It’s your guarantee that the GI value stated near the nutrition information label is accurate. Foods with the GI Symbol are healthy in other ways, too. To be approved to carry the GI Symbol, foods must be a good source of carbohydrate and meet a host of other nutrient criteria including energy (Calories/kilojoules), total and saturated fat, sodium (salt), and where appropriate fibre and calcium.

For more information email: alan@gisymbol.com



Contact
Dr Alan W Barclay, PhD
CSO, Glycemic Index Ltd
Phone: +61 2 9785 1037
Mob: +61 (0)416 111 046
Fax: +61 2 9785 1037
Email: alan@gisymbol.com
Website: www.gisymbol.com.au

New GI Values with Fiona Atkinson

GI database updated
The database at www.glycemicindex.com has been updated with the latest GI values based on the 2008 International Tables which included the GI of 2,489 individual food items (Diabetes Care).

If you want a print version, pick up a copy of the 2009 Shopper’s Guide to GI Values available in ANZ and in the US and Canada. Publishing rights for this handy little pocket guide are available for all other countries.

In the following summary, we have listed the average GI values of more than 60 common carbohydrate-containing foods to help you put the lower GI choices into your shopping trolley and on your plate.


Click on the table for a full-sized view

To have your product GI tested, contact an accredited GI testing laboratory
North America
Dr Alexandra Jenkins
Glycemic Index Laboratories
36 Lombard Street, Suite 100
Toronto, Ontario M5C 2X3 Canada
Phone +1 416 861 0506
Email info@gilabs.com
Web www.gilabs.com

Australia
Fiona Atkinson



Research Manager, Sydney University Glycemic Index Research Service (SUGiRS)
Human Nutrition Unit, School of Molecular and Microbial Biosciences
Sydney University
NSW 2006 Australia
Phone + 61 2 9351 6018
Fax: + 61 2 9351 6022
Email sugirs@mmb.usyd.edu.au
Web www.glycemicindex.com

New Zealand
Dr Tracy Perry
The Glycemic Research Group, Dept of Human Nutrition
University of Otago
PO Box 56 Dunedin New Zealand
Phone +64 3 479 7508
Email tracy.perry@stonebow.otago.ac.nz
Web glycemicindex.otago.ac.nz

See The New Glucose Revolution on YouTube

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GI News—May 2009

• Taxing soft drinks
• Low GI diet halves women with gestational diabetes needing insulin
• Sweetening with stevia
• ‘GI the most critical tool in managing our child’s diabetes.’
• Low GI sugar: your questions answered
• New GI values
  

In a ‘Perspective’ piece in the New England Journal of Medicine, Yale University’s Kelly Brownell and New York City Health Commissioner Thomas Frieden write that a penny-per-ounce tax on sugared beverages could both reduce consumption and generate revenue for needed programs to prevent obesity among children and adults. They review scientific studies that show that taxes could substantially reduce consumption of sugared beverages, cut caloric intake and help prevent obesity and diabetes as well as the consequences of these conditions. In ‘Food for Thought,’ nutritionist and economist, Prof Barry Popkin explains why soft drinks are only part of the problem and drinking more water is an easy step we can all take to better health.

Good eating, good health and good reading.

GI News Editor: Philippa Sandall
Web Design and Management: Scott Dickinson, PhD

Food for Thought

Our drink problem
‘How we drink and what we drink today is the result of major advances in food processing, distribution and aggressive marketing campaigns on the part of the beverage industry,’ says Prof Barry Popkin in his new book, The World Is Fat. ‘Throughout the world, from about 1990 on, the beverage industry has been successful in marketing the idea of always drinking: drink when you are active, drink when you are resting and relaxing, and drink when you go to a party. With functional beverages now hitting the marketplace you can also drink for extra energy, drink for better skin, drink for more vitamins, and drink for extra antioxidants. And all these drinks come with a bonus: calories.



About the time of World War II, we Americans drank mostly water, tea, coffee, a limited amount of beer and hard alcohol, and whole milk, and our calorie intake from beverages was between 100–200 calories (420–840 kJ) a day. By 2002, we more than doubled our intake of caloric beverages, and the average American is now getting around 400 calories (840 kJ) a day from beverages. From 1965 to 2002, over two-thirds of this increase (and half our total calories from beverages) was due to fruit juices and soft drinks.

At the same time we are gulping down these calories, we aren’t cutting back on our food intake to compensate. The consensus among scientists from dozens of meta analyses, large scale and smaller epidemiological studies, clinical and animal work is that there is no dietary compensation when we consume a beverage with calories. This includes sugar-sweetened beverages and even fruit juice, lattes, heavily sweetened teas, energy drinks and vitamin waters (currently we don't know where milk and milk drinks stand). In other words, with these items being drunk instead of water, all the calories from these are added to our overall energy intake and food calories are not reduced. A large body of literature shows consumption of these beverages are linked to weight gain, abdominal obesity, diabetes and heart disease. Studies have been undertaken in all continents with similar results.

My favourite way to help people lose weight is to look at what they drink over the course of a typical day. It’s easy to cut out some Coke, Pepsi or Mountain Dew or to cut down to one beer or one glass of wine. These small reductions matter over time. If you have diabetes or if you’ve recently had a heart attack, for example – a shift to only noncaloric beverages will do it for many people. The top 40% of caloric beverage drinkers in the US consume over 760 calories (3,190 kJ) a day from beverages. Obviously cutting out some of these calories would result in immediate weightloss.’
– Barry Popkin

For more on why We Are What We Drink, check out: The World Is Fat.

News Briefs

Why low GI foods make you feel full
Researchers at the Department of Nutrition and Dietetics at King’s College London report that low GI meals increased the levels of GLP-1 gut hormone levels, leading to the suppression of appetite and the feeling of fullness in a paper presented at the annual society for endocrinology BES meeting in the UK in March 2009.

Dr Tony Leeds, and Reza Norouzy looked at the effects of a single low versus high GI meal on gut hormone levels in 12 healthy volunteers. Each participant ate an identical moderate GI meal for dinner, fasted overnight, and was given either a low GI (46) or high GI (66) meal for breakfast. Blood samples were then taken every 30 minutes for 150 minutes, and levels of the gut hormone GLP-1 and insulin measured. GLP-1 is a hormone produced by the gut that has been shown to cause a feeling of fullness and suppression of appetite. Volunteers who ate a low GI breakfast had 20% higher blood plasma levels of GLP-1 and 38% lower levels of insulin compared to those who had consumed a high GI breakfast.



Researcher Dr Reza Norouzy said: ‘Our results suggest that low GI meals lead to a feeling of fullness because of increased levels of GLP-1 in the bloodstream. We now need to expand the findings of this preliminary study and look at the effects of low versus high GI meals in a larger group of people.’
– Kings College London press release.

Low GI diet halved number of women with gestational diabetes needing to use insulin
Women with gestational diabetes can halve their chances of needing insulin by following a low GI diet, according to a new Australian study. Sixty-three women (aged 18–40, all non smokers) followed either a low GI diet or a conventional high fibre (and higher GI) diet. Women on the low GI diet consumed foods such as whole grain pasta and breads, and unprocessed, high fibre breakfast cereals. The control group was advised to eat a high fibre, low sugar diet with no specific guidelines with respect to GI. Both diets met current dietary recommendations for pregnant women.

The results published in Diabetes Care, show that 29% of the women on the low GI diet required insulin, while 59% on the higher GI diet needed insulin. Of the 19 women in the control group who met the criteria for starting insulin, 9 were able to avoid insulin use by switching to a low GI diet.



Gestational diabetes is the type of diabetes that women can develop during pregnancy. In any pregnancy, some insulin resistance develops as a pregnant woman’s insulin needs are 2–3 times her normal needs. But, if you are overweight at the same time, it’s worse. And if your body can’t produce enough insulin to overcome the insulin resistance, your blood glucose levels increase above normal. If gestational diabetes is undetected and untreated, the baby is at risk of growing too big in the womb, which can make the birth difficult. The baby is also at risk of other complications and is more likely to be overweight as a child and develop health problems such as high blood pressure, heart disease and diabetes later in life.

About 5%, or one in every 20 pregnant women, will develop gestational diabetes, and those numbers are increasing. Most women can manage their gestational diabetes with healthy eating, exercise and regular blood glucose monitoring. Here are dietitian Kaye Foster-Powell's healthy eating tips for women with gestational diabetes.

• Eat regular meals and mid-meal snacks, and avoid getting overly hungry.
• Limit sugary foods and drinks including soft drinks, cordials, confectionery and desserts.
• Limit fatty foods, especially foods high in saturated fats such as crisps, pastries, take-aways, butter and cream, biscuits and cakes.
• Include low GI (slow release) carbohydrate foods at each meal and snack.
• Eat a wide variety of nutritious foods

And be active in as many ways as you can each day!

Great discoveries in nutrition, and the challenges we face
The past 30 years have yielded major new discoveries in nutrition and health. At a one-day symposium at Wageningen University the audience voted on the greatest discoveries in nutrition since 1976 – and on the greatest nutrition and health challenges ahead. The results have now been published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition. The participants chose ‘Folic acid prevents birth defects’ as the greatest discovery in nutrition science since 1976. GI (‘Interaction of carbohydrate/glycemic load with insulin resistance’ – Jenkins) came in at #12 and GI News’ Prof Trim (aka Prof Garry Egger with Prof Boyd Swinburn) at #7 with ‘Obesity is a normal response to an abnormal environment’. ‘Controlling obesity and insulin resistance through activity and diet’ was voted as being the biggest challenge we face with ‘Can diet delay cognitive decline’ coming in as the #2 challenge for the years ahead.

The Joy of Cooking … too much
Eating out is often blamed as being one of the key culprits for gaining weight, but a letter published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, suggests that what we do in our own homes may be just as bad. In the study, the researchers found recipes for four, that would have served around seven people in 1936.



Examining 18 ‘classic’ recipes found in seven editions of the ‘classic’ The Joy of Cooking since it was first published in 1936 until the 2006 update, Dr Brian Wansink and Dr Collin Payne found that the average calories per serving jumped 63% in 70 years in 17 of the 18 recipes. In calories that's from about 268 calories (1125 kJ) per serving in 1936 to about 436 calories (1831 kJ) in 2006.

In analysing just the calorie density of the recipes – the total amount of calories, regardless of serving size – the foods in the 2006 edition had 37% more calories than the 18 recipes did in the 1936 edition. Similar increases were found in other classics such as the Better Homes and Gardens Cook Book.

Speaking to Susan Lang of Cornell Chronicle Wansink said: ‘This jump in calories was influenced by both changes in ingredients – usually increases in fat and sugar – and changes in serving size. Family size has gotten smaller, but calorie content and portion sizes have gotten bigger’. The researchers cite beef stroganoff as an example. In the 1997 edition, the recipe called for three tablespoons of sour cream (that’s less than ¼ cup). The 2006 edition calls for 1 whole cup. The study also found that some of the added calories came from substituting ingredients, such as extra meat instead of vegetables.

Meat and mortality – the real risks
High intake of red and processed meats is associated with increased risk for death in older adults, while white meat may have a protective effect are the findings of a study published in Archives of Internal Medicine.



More than a half million adults aged 50 to 71 completed food-frequency questionnaires and then were followed for 10 years. The study relied on people’s memory of what they ate, which can be faulty. In the analysis, the researchers took into account risk factors such as smoking, family history of cancer and high BMI.

Over 10 years, eating the equivalent of a quarter-pound hamburger daily gave men in the study a 22% higher risk of dying of cancer and a 27% higher risk of dying of heart disease. That's compared to those who ate the least red meat, just 5 ounces (150 g) per week. Women who ate large amounts of red meat had a 20% higher risk of dying of cancer and a 50% higher risk of dying of heart disease than women who ate less. High intake of processed meat was also associated with increased mortality risks. Conversely, consumption of white meat (poultry and fish) was associated with significantly decreased risks for total and cancer-related mortality.

In an accompanying editorial, Prof Barry Popkin, director of the Interdisciplinary Obesity Center at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, wrote that reducing meat intake would have benefits beyond improved health. Livestock increase greenhouse gas emissions, contributing to global warming, he wrote, and nations should reevaluate farm subsidies that distort prices and encourage meat-based diets. ‘We’ve promoted a diet that has added excessively to global warming,’ Popkin said in an interview. Successfully shifting away from red meat can be as easy as increasing fruits and vegetables in the diet, said Elisabetta Politi of the Duke Diet and Fitness Center in Durham, N.C.

What’s new?
www.foodwatch.com.au has had a facelift



Catherine Saxelby’s website is a one-stop information shop on all things food and nutrition. It’s just had a facelift and now offers product reviews (goji berries, vitamin waters), free fact sheets on topics like fibre, salt and portion caution, expert articles, and delicious recipes to try. You can sign up for Catherine’s free monthly newsletter, take part in one of her regular polls on nutrition and food hot topics, or post your own comments on her blog: Catherine’s News, Chews and Reviews!

www.eattobeatcholesterol.com.au
Interested in controlling your cholesterol and looking after your heart? Check out Nicole Senior’s website where you’ll find the latest research, news you can use, fascinating facts about heart-friendly food, food myths, frequently asked questions, and the recipe of the month. Nicole presents the scientific facts in a way that’s easy to understand and, importantly, to put into practice. “It’s all about food that’s good to eat and good for you”, says Nicole.

Foodwatch with Catherine Saxelby

Stevia to the rescue in the noncaloric beverage business


Catherine Saxelby

Zero-calorie sweetener, stevia (Stevia rebaudiana) hit the headlines in the Wall Street Journal in December 2008 with the announcement that the FDA were approving two rebiana-based sweeteners (from rebaudioside A, a highly purified extract of stevia) as being safe for use as a general purpose sweetener in foods and beverages. Australia’s food regulator, FSANZ, had granted approval earlier in 2008.

Cargill is marketing its rebiana-based sweetener Truvia with Coca-Cola; Merisant is working with PepsiCo with their version, Purevia. Both have developed non-nutritive tabletop sweeteners from it.

In what they expect to be the first of many new low- and zero-calorie beverages sweetened with Truvia, Coca Cola has launched a reduced-calorie version of Sprite, called Sprite Green, in the US. Odwalla, also owned by Coke, has added two new reduced-calorie juice drinks to its product line – Mojito Mambo and Pomegranate Strawberry. Apparently not all flavours taste good sweetened with stevia. Citrus flavours taste the best – so we may not see Coke Zero with stevia.


Rebaudioside A – stevia extract

Not to be outdone, Pepsi has three flavors of a stevia-sweetened zero-calorie SoBe Lifewater in Fuji Apple & Pear, Black and Blue Berry, and Yumberry Pomegranate with added vitamins as well. They’ve also just brought out an orange-juice drink called Trop50 with 50% less sugar and calories and the juice of freshly squeezed oranges.

Why the interest in stevia? It’s all part of a move away from aspartame (Equal, Nutrasweet) and acesulphame K towards more ‘natural’ substitutes for sugar for diet drinks. Despite being cleared twice by food authorities, aspartame has been plagued by persistent internet rumours linking it to brain cancer and Alzheimer’s that refuse to go away. Trop50, for example, replaces Tropicana's previous Light 'n Healthy orange juice beverage that was made with an artificial sweetener.

Stevia and blood glucose Stevioside does not appear to affect blood glucose levels, good news for those with diabetes. The human body does not metabolise the sweet glycosides and they pass through and are eliminated, so the body does not obtain any kilojoules/calories. You’ll see it sold as a white powder, a liquid extract or as tablets for tea or coffee. It has a slight liquorice flavour. It works well in beverages or yoghurts but not in biscuits or muffins as it can’t duplicate sugar’s ability to add bulk and contribute to the golden-brown colour of baked goods.

So far, so good. If you’re after a non-kilojoule sweetener that’s more ‘natural’, stevia hits the spot. It will be interesting to see how well its safety remains over time and how consumers take to the taste of these new drinks.

Background on stevia Native to South America, the leaves of this semi-tropical shrub are around 30 times sweeter than cane sugar but without the kilojoules/calories. As a herb, the leaves can be used fresh or dried – less than 2 tablespoons of crushed dried leaves can replace a cup of sugar, although it’s hard to be specific as actual sweetness can vary. You can buy stevia leaf powder online from specialty spice merchants such as Herbies Spices (www.herbies.com.au). Ian Hemphill says ‘use sparingly as there is a bitter aftertaste if too much is added to food.’

Catherine Saxelby is an accredited dietitian and nutritionist and runs the Foodwatch Nutrition Centre. For more information on stevia and healthy eating, visit www.foodwatch.com.au.

Low GI Recipes of the Month

American dietitian, Johanna Burani invites GI News readers to try recipes from her Italian kitchen (photographed by Sergio Burani).


Johanna Burani

Herbed fettuccine nests
Here is a terrific tasting pasta dish that is easy to make and just as easy to digest. The ingredients are few and unassuming, yet with careful attention given to their quality and freshness, this humble dish is fit for a king. Buon appetito! Serves 4

230 g (8 oz) 100% semolina fettuccine (or pappardelle) nests (8 nests)
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 heaping tablespoon minced fresh sage
1½ teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste

• Slowly melt the butter in a small saucepan. Shake or stir the pan to allow the butter to melt evenly. A foam will form and when the butter starts turning brown (approximately 3½ minutes), remove it from the heat. Add in the lemon juice, sage, and salt and pepper to taste. Keep warm
• In the meantime, cook the pasta according to the packet directions until al dente. Cooking time should between 6–8 minutes. Drain the pasta, return to the pot, pour over the sauce and mix thoroughly. Serve with grated Parmesan cheese.

Per serving (1 cup)
Energy: 1310 kJ/ 312 cals; Protein 7 g; Fat 12 g (includes 7 g saturated fat and 30 mg cholesterol); Carbs 22 g; Fibre 2 g

UK dietitian Azmina Govindji shares recipes from her new book (with chef Sanjeev Kapoor) Healthy Indian Cooking for Diabetes photographed by Yuki Sugiura. It’s available from bookshops in the UK, from Amazon and in ANZ online from www.greatideas.net.au.


Azmina Govindji

Bengali mixed vegetables (Chorchori)
The story goes that in many Bengali households, shopping for fresh vegetables was the duty of the man of the house; and this was done once a week on his day off from work. By the end of the week, the lady of the house was left with bits of all sorts of vegetables – hence this nutritious medley. Eat it with a small amount of rice, dal and natural low fat yoghurt.

1 tablespoon mustard oil
1½ teaspoons panch phoron (Bengali five-spice)
½ teaspoon red chilli powder
125 g (4 oz) cauliflower, broken into florets
2 medium potatoes (200 g/7 oz), diced
Piece orange-fleshed sweet potato (100 g/3½ oz), diced
100 g (3½ oz) peeled pumpkin, diced
1 medium size long brinjal, diced
6–8 French beans cut into 1 cm/½ in pieces
6–8 spinach leaves, shredded
¼ teaspoon turmeric
2 green chillies, slit
½ teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt

• Heat the oil in a non stick pan until it reaches smoking point. Remove from the heat, cool and heat the oil again on a medium heat. Add the panch phoron and, when it begins to crackle, add the chilli powder, stirring briefly.
• Stir in the prepared vegetables, followed by the turmeric, chillies, sugar and salt. Reduce the heat, cover, and cook for 8–10 minutes, stirring occasionally or until the potatoes are cooked. Uncover and stir fry for 1 minute or until the chorchori is dry.

Per serve (without accompaniments)
Energy: 532 kJ/ 126 cals; Protein 4 g; Fat 4 g (includes 0.5 g saturated fat); Carbs 19 g; Fibre 4 g; 538 mg sodium

Busting Food Myths with Nicole Senior

Myth: Heart attack is a men’s problem


Nicole Senior

Fact: Heart disease is the leading cause of death in women (in the US, Australia & the UK)
I always prick up my ears when a high-profile person dies from a heart attack. The list is very long, and not really surprising when you consider heart disease is the developed world’s biggest killer: singer Robert Palmer (1949 – 2003), McDonalds CEO Jim Cantalupo (1944 – 2004), US NBC political journalist Tim Russert (1950 – 2008), major league baseball pitcher Darryl Kile (1968 – 2002) and disc jockey Wolfman Jack ( 1939-1995 ). In Australia: mobile phone mogul ‘Crazy John’ Ilhan (1965-2007) and rock legend Billy Thorpe (1946-2007). Then there are those who’ve gone under the knife: former US president Bill Clinton, and TV personalities Larry King and David Letterman. Dick Cheney’s had four heart attacks. But hang on, these are all men. The only famous woman I could find online was Phyllis Diller who had a heart attack in 1999. This list would seem to suggest heart disease is something only men need worry about, but is this true?



In fact, heart disease is the leading cause of death in women (US, Australia & UK). While breast cancer is the oft-quoted baddie, four times as many women die of heart disease than breast cancer. Experts estimate that one in two women will die of heart disease or stroke, compared with one in 25 women who will die of breast cancer. Sixty percent more women in the US die of cardiovascular disease (heart attack and stroke) than all cancers combined. While both men and women have heart attacks, women are more likely to die from it: no second chance, no opportunity to change, no chance to say goodbye – just gone.

A recent survey revealed 70% of Australian women were unaware that heart disease is the main cause of death among females. “It is a common misconception that heart disease is a ‘male problem’, with women tending to dismiss their symptoms and not seek help until the condition becomes serious”, said Heart Foundation (Australia) CEO Dr Lyn Roberts. “But heart disease should not be underestimated. It is a real issue for all women and younger women should heed our warning and take action now to reduce their risk. Most women recognise that smoking and obesity are major heart disease risk factors along with saturated fat, lack of exercise and family history. Worryingly however new research suggests that there is a poor understanding of the dangers posed by high cholesterol, high blood pressure and diabetes.”

Heart disease tends to strike women at an older age because female hormones are protective until menopause. But afterwards this protection disappears. Menopause signals a biological change, but requires behavioural change to best maintain health and wellbeing. For many women, this involves looking after number one for a change, instead of always putting the needs of others first. A heart-healthy diet and regular exercise are more important than ever and the best known anti-ageing therapy as well.

In Australia, May 3-9 is Heart Week and marks the beginning of the Go Red for Women awareness campaign. Coincidentally, it’s also Mother’s Day around the same time (US and Australasia). If you’d like to spoil yourself (or your mum) with a healthy gift that keeps on giving, check out Nicole’s books at www.eattobeatcholesterol.com.au

Move It & Lose It with Prof Trim

Vitamin D deficiency: a lack of sunlight or something else?
Vitamin D is a pro-hormone, which comes from sunlight, or artificial UV light exposure, as well as some types of foods (oily fish, some meat sources and fortified processed foods). Sources from sunlight however are more potent. And Australians have plenty of this. So it seems hardly likely that they would be suffering from a vitamin D deficiency. Yet that’s just what recent evidence shows. Surveys support the fact that up to half of the elderly may be vitamin D deficient, leading to problems of bone weakness.



Some experts have suggested that our skin cancer messages may have been too successful – that people aren’t getting the 20 minutes of sunlight exposure a day which is sufficient. Others say that sun creams may now be too effective. This latter idea has been dismissed because adequate UV light gets through sun cream with sufficient exposure. A more likely scenario is the rise of obesity and inactivity, which also cause Vitamin D deficiency. Perhaps, again, it’s the whole lifestyle that needs to be looked at.


Dr Garry Egger aka Prof Trim

For more information on weight loss for men, check out Professor Trim.

Curly Questions

What’s the GI and GL of raw wheat bran. We have a brand here in the UK called Jordans Wheat Bran which is quite coarse.
If your raw wheat bran is the same as ours here in Australia, then this is a very low carbohydrate product that can’t have a GI or GL (it’s too low to test). This means it won't cause any rise in blood glucose levels. In fact, studies show that it will have a ‘second meal’ effect, which means it will lower the blood glucose response to the next meal.



Are products containing sucralose in the high GI range? If so, are Swerve, stevia, Truvia, or xylitol acceptable sugar substitutes?
By sucralose we assume you mean Splenda. Sucralose is a non nutritive sweetener and is hundreds of times sweeter than table sugar (sucrose), has no effect on blood glucose levels and does not provide any calories because it is not absorbed into the body. It contains no carbohydrate and does not have a GI. There's an excellent chapter on sugar and sweeteners in The New Glucose Revolution for Diabetes (The Diabetes and Pre-diabetes Handbook in Australia) by Prof Jennie Brand Miller et al PLUS a great ‘What sweetener is that?’ summary table. The information there should answer many of your questions about sugars and sweeteners of all kinds.

Email your curly question about carbs, the GI and blood glucose to: gicurlyquestions@gmail.com

Your Success Stories

‘We found the GI the most critical tool in managing our children’s diabetes.’ – Margie
'I have two type 1 diabetic children, one diagnosed 12 years ago at age three and the other in 2007 at age two. Thanks to Prof Jennie Brand-Miller and colleagues, my husband and I were able to use the GI in managing my three year old’s diabetes way back 12 years ago after diagnosis (and have done so ever since, and also with my latest diagnosed child) and we found it THE most critical tool in managing our child’s diabetes. It was truly a godsend. This was despite the GI at the time not being something that was widely recognised or recommended, and in fact even frowned upon by some old-style diabetic educators who preferred the complex carbohydrate and counting method.

However, we KNEW from first-hand experience exactly how very well it worked, studied the original little handbook til we could shop without it and then we fashioned our family diet around it generally. We loved the freedom it gave us in making dietary choices, particularly for a toddler, in addition to improving our understanding of diabetes, the relation of foods to blood glucose levels and of course ultimately achieving better blood glucose levels for our child! So we just did our thing without the guidance of the medical profession until such a time as the GI was eventually given the recognition it deserved. Which as Australians, we are proud of, as we know the international recognition and acclaim this research has achieved since.'



‘Dear Professor Brand-Miller, I just want to thank you for your very sensible and helpful eating advice in The Low GI Diet’ – Frances
‘I have just finished the first 12-week weight-loss period during which I lost 10.5 kg (23 lbs). I am now no longer morbidly obese. I now intend to continue with a 3-month weight maintenance period before trying another period of weight loss. I am in my forties and have been obese for over 10 years.

Your book has really helped to re-educate me regarding my eating habits and attitude towards my health. I particularly liked the fact that whilst following the weight-loss program I did not become neurotic about what I could or could not eat, and I also felt that I was not embarking on some kind of self-punishment program. I now eat regularly and sensibly, I enjoy buying and preparing food and eating it and I enjoy a much more active life – swimming, walking and going to the gym. I do not feel as though I were on a diet that I am in a hurry to finish and return to “normal” eating habits – instead I feel like I now have a much happier and healthier relationship towards food and my body. I really am so happy that I picked up your book.’

GI Symbol News with Alan Barclay

LoGicane™: your questions answered


Alan Barclay

The launch of the low GI sweetener LoGicane™ in Australia in March sparked immense interest from around the globe. A growing disenchantment with non-nutritive tabletop sweeteners like aspartame and sucralose, and the hypothesis that high fructose corn syrups are fuelling the obesity epidemic in the USA, are a couple of likely reasons for the high level of interest.

How does LoGicane™ compare with other tabletop sweeteners?
It is important to realise that it is a nutritive sweetener – it provides energy (kilojoules) and carbohydrate, as well as small amounts of minerals like potassium, calcium and magnesium, and other nutritive substances like polyphenols and antioxidants. Other nutritive sweeteners like honey and raw sugar also provide similar amounts of energy, carbohydrate and some of these other nutrients, but on average, they have a higher GI value. All other nutritive tabletop sweeteners are so highly refined that they only provide energy and carbohydrate, and with the notable exception of fructose, have a higher GI. Therefore, LoGicane™ is an overall better choice of nutritive tabletop sweetener.

However, like all nutritive sweeteners, it may contribute to weight gain, and will elevate blood glucose levels in people with diabetes, if consumed in excessive amounts. It is worth noting that total sugar consumption per head of population has been decreasing in Australia over the last 35 years, while rates of overweight/obesity and type 2 diabetes have approximately trebled over the same period.



How does LoGicane™ compare with non-nutritive table top sweeteners like aspartame and sucralose?
As their name suggests, non-nutritive sweeteners provide essentially no nutrients (energy, carbohydrate, minerals, etc…) when consumed as directed. As such, they will not affect blood glucose levels, and in theory may aid in weight management. However, perhaps surprisingly, there is actually little evidence that they help with weight management for reasons that are as yet unclear. It is worth noting that aspartame and sucralose were introduced into the food supply in the early 1980’s and 90’s respectively, again coinciding with the global obesity and diabetes epidemic.

Is Logicane™ low GI due to added chemicals or sweeteners?
Logicane™ is low GI due to the polyphenols that occur naturally in molasses. The important GI lowering polyphenols in molasses are recovered using a membrane filtration process and this material is reincorporated back into washed raw sugar crystals to ensure the clinically “right” amount is captured in the final sugar product to ensure it is low GI.

Where can you buy it?
While LoGicane™ is currently only available in Australia and New Zealand supermarkets, Horizon Science are negotiating with major North American and European manufacturers, and expect the product will be available in these territories in the near future. For more information email: alan@gisymbol.com



Contact
Dr Alan W Barclay, PhD
CSO, Glycemic Index Ltd
Phone: +61 2 9785 1037
Mob: +61 (0)416 111 046
Fax: +61 2 9785 1037
Email: mailto:alan@gisymbol.com
Email: alan@gisymbol.com
Website: www.gisymbol.com.au

New GI Values with Fiona Atkinson

Lychees
Fresh lychees (B3 variety, Australian grown) GI 57
Serve size 8 lychees (about 100 g or 3 1/2 oz); Available carbs per serve 16 g; GL = 9

Nektar Sweet
Nektar Sweet™ GI 34
Serve size (1 teaspoon) 4 g; Available carbs per serve 4 g; GL = 1.4
This nutritive sweetener is a white powder-like sweetener. The ingredients are fructose, lactose, honey, maltodextrin and natural flavours. The product packaging says ‘replace table sugar about 1:1, adjust to taste’.

To have your product GI tested, contact an accredited GI testing laboratory
North America
Dr Alexandra Jenkins
Glycemic Index Laboratories
36 Lombard Street, Suite 100
Toronto, Ontario M5C 2X3 Canada
Phone +1 416 861 0506
Email info@gilabs.com
Web www.gilabs.com

Australia
Fiona Atkinson



Research Manager, Sydney University Glycemic Index Research Service (SUGiRS)
Human Nutrition Unit, School of Molecular and Microbial Biosciences
Sydney University
NSW 2006 Australia
Phone + 61 2 9351 6018
Fax: + 61 2 9351 6022
Email sugirs@mmb.usyd.edu.au
Web www.glycemicindex.com

New Zealand
Dr Tracy Perry
The Glycemic Research Group, Dept of Human Nutrition
University of Otago
PO Box 56 Dunedin New Zealand
Phone +64 3 479 7508
Email tracy.perry@stonebow.otago.ac.nz
Web glycemicindex.otago.ac.nz

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