Fed: No conclusive evidence to support GI diet claims: Choice

AAP General News (Australia)
04-06-2004
Fed: No conclusive evidence to support GI diet claims: Choice

Consumer magazine CHOICE says there's no conclusive evidence that low-GI foods are
either generally healthy or slimming, despite hype suggesting the contrary.

The glycaemic index, or GI, is a way of ranking carbohydrate foods according to their
effect on blood glucose.

Foods with a low GI -- such as whole grains, pasta and most legumes -- make blood glucose
rise and fall gently.

But the human body quickly breaks down high-GI foods, such as white bread and potatoes,
that cause blood glucose levels to surge and then crash.

These foods are widely condemned as causing obesity, heart disease and diabetes.

But some relatively low-GI foods such as ice cream and chocolate are loaded with fat
and kilojoules.

CHOICE magazine says there's no compelling evidence that a low-GI diet aids weight loss.

AAP RTV ng/nf/mj/psm/


KEYWORD: CHOICE GI (SYDNEY)

2004 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.