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Dietary carbohydrate composition is a subject of great interest among healthcare providers and the general public. Two factors characterize dietary carbohydrates: (1) glycemic index, the ranking of carbohydrates from 0 to 100 based on their immediate effect on blood glucose levels; and (2) glycemic load, calculated as the product of the glycemic index of a food and its carbohydrate content. Table 1 lists the glycemic index of representative foods.
Dutch investigators studied a prospective cohort of more than 15,000 women (age range, 49–70) to determine the effect of glycemic index and glycemic load on risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD). Food intake was assessed with a validated food frequency questionnaire, and morbidity data were obtaine…