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Insulin triggered by carbohydrates could be a cause for acne so a diet with a low GI could be beneficial in treatment

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Causes of acne. Authoritative facts about the skin from DermNet New Zealand.

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Obese kids have better insulin sensitivity if they follow a low-glycemic index diet | Univadis

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Takeaway

A low-glycemic index diet improved measures of insulin sensitivity, although it was not superior to a low-fat diet.

Study Design

A randomized controlled trial among 52 obese children aged 9 to 16 years.

Children were assigned to follow a low-glycemic index diet or a low-fat diet (as a control) for 6 months.

The main outcomes were changes in body composition (measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry and bioelectrical impedance) and insulin sensitivity (measured by fasting plasma glucose and insulin levels).

Key Results

The low-fat diet group and the low-glycemic index diet group both had significant redu...

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Obese kids have better insulin sensitivity if they follow a low-glycemic index diet

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Takeaway A low-glycemic index diet improved measures of insulin sensitivity, although it was not superior to a low-fat diet. Study Design A randomized controlled trial among 52 obese children aged 9 to 16 years. Children were assigned to follow a low-glycemic index diet or a low-fat diet (as a control) for 6 months.

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A new US study on mice suggests that a diet rich in carbohydrates with a high glycemic index (GI) not only expands waistlines but may also lead to fatty liver, a condition that results in liver failure and death.

The study is published in the September issue of the journal Obesity and is the work of Dr David Ludwig, director of the Optimal Weight for Life program at Children's Hospital Boston, and colleagues.

Fatty liver is increasing in line with rising rates of obesity among Americans. The researchers hope to confirm their findings in a newly launched clinical trial with overweight children and to show that the trend can be reversed through changes in diet.

Fatty liver is becoming especially common among children, said Ludwig. Although many adult cases can be caused by alcoholism, that is not so in children, where between 1 in 4 and 1 in 2 overweight American children are thought to be affected by non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).

That means millions of children are at elevated risk of getting full blown liver disease in adulthood, said Ludwig, who called it a "silent but dangerous epidemic".

"Just as type 2 diabetes exploded into our consciousness in the 1990s, so we think fatty liver will in the coming decade," he added.

High GI foods include white bread, white rice, most processed grains such as breakfast cereals, and concentrated sugar. They raise blood sugar quickly because the starch is broken down into sugar quickly. These are also called rapidly absorbed carbohydrates (RAC).

Ludwig said the French delicacy "pâté de foie gras" (literally "pâté of fatty liver") was made by feeding ducks and geese on a diet rich in high GI grains.

Low GI foods include most vegetables, fruits, beans and unprocessed grains. The starch in them is digested slowly and therefore eating them raises blood sugar slowly. This is also called slowly absorbed carbohydrate (SAC).

Ludwig and colleagues carried out the study using two groups of laboratory mice. One group of mice were fed a high GI diet based on a type of cornstarch that is digested quickly, and the other a low GI diet, based on a more slowly digested cornstarch.

Both groups of mice consumed the same total number of calories, fat, protein and carbohydrate. The only difference was the GI value of the carbohydrate.

Both groups of mice weighed the same after 6 months. But there was a difference in fat deposits in the two groups.

The mice on the low GI diet had normal amounts of fat in their bodies, they were "lean", whereas the mice on the high GI diet had double the amount of fat throughout their bodies, in their blood and in their livers.

Ludwig explained that sugar released from high GI food ramps up insulin production, which tells the body to make and store fat. This is a burden to the liver because the pancreas produces the insulin and sends it straight to the liver, resulting in liver insulin levels way above the rest of the body.

Fatty liver usually has no symptoms, but it raises the risk of liver inflammation, which can lead to hepatitis, which is sometimes fatal.

A study on people living in Italy who ate high GI food showed they had fattier livers, but the study wasn't tightly controlled, whereas this study on mice shows that high GI carbohydrates can cause fatty liver in animals, regardless of other diet and lifestyle factors.

"Our experiment creates a very strong argument that a high-glycemic index diet causes, and a low-glycemic index diet prevents, fatty liver in humans," said Ludwig.

He and his team have just lauched a clinical trial involving overweight children aged from 8 to 17 who will be randomized to either a high GI or a low GI diet. They hope to show that a low GI diet can reverse fatty liver in overweight children.

Ludwig explained that the current standard treatment for being overweight involves putting children on low fat diets, but that doesn't work for many children with fatty liver:

"We think it's a misconception that the fat you're eating goes into the liver," he said.

Ludwig has a theory that obesity, sedentary lifestyles and eating too many refined carbohydrates are "synergistically" driving a fatty liver epidemic in children.

The irony, said Ludwig, is that low fat diets only make things worse, because they replace fat with sugar and starch (mostly high GI) that increases fat deposits in the body.

"Two low fat Twinkies, billed as a health food, contain the same amount of sugar as an oral glucose tolerance test, a test used to determine how much sugar someone can digest," said Ludwig.

"Hepatic Steatosis and Increased Adiposity in Mice Consuming Rapidly vs. Slowly Absorbed Carbohydrate."
Scribner, Kelly B., Pawlak, Dorota B., Ludwig, David S.
Obesity 2007 15: 2190-2199.

Click here for Abstract.

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A new US study on mice suggests that a diet rich in carbohydrates with a high glycemic index (GI) not only expands waistlines but may also lead to fatty liver, a condition that results in liver failure and death.

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UN: mianesbeth@yahoo.com
PW: Hongkong10

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Lower Glycemic Index Diet Did Not Improve Risk Factors for Heart Disease, Insulin Resistance | Univadis

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Importance Foods that have similar carbohydrate content can differ in the amount they raise blood glucose. The effects of this property, called the glycemic index, on risk factors for cardiovascular disease and diabetes are not well understood.

Objective To determine the effect of glycemic index and amount of total dietary carbohydrate on risk factors for cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

Design, Setting, and Participants Randomized crossover-controlled feeding trial conducted in research units in academic medical centers, in which 163 overweight adults (systolic blood pressure, 120-159 mm Hg) were given 4 complete diets that contained all of their meals, snacks, and calorie-containing beverages, each for 5 weeks, and completed at least 2 study diets. The first participant was enrolled April 1, 2008; the last participant finished December 22, 2010. For any pair of the 4 diets, there were 135 to 150 participants contributing at least 1 primary outcome measure.

Interventions (1) A high-glycemic index (65% on the glucose scale), high-carbohydrate diet (58% energy); (2) a low-glycemic index (40%), high-carbohydrate diet; (3) a high-glycemic index, low-carbohydrate diet (40% energy); and (4) a low-glycemic index, low-carbohydrate diet. Each diet was based on a healthful DASH-type diet.

Main Outcomes and Measures The 5 primary outcomes were insulin sensitivity, determined from the areas under the curves of glucose and insulin levels during an oral glucose tolerance test; levels of low-density lipo...

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Lower Glycemic Index Diet Did Not Improve Risk Factors for Heart Disease, Insulin Resistance

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Importance Foods that have similar carbohydrate content can differ in the amount they raise blood glucose. The effects of this property, called the glycemic index, on risk factors for cardiovascular disease and diabetes are not well understood. Objective To determine the effect of glycemic index and amount of total dietary carbohydrate on risk factors for cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

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Carbohydrates, or saccharides, are biomolecules. The four major classes of biomolecules are carbohydrates, proteins, nucleotides, and lipids. Carbohydrates are the most abundant of the four.

Also known as "carbs," carbohydrates have several roles in living organisms, including energy transportation. They are also structural components of plants and insects.

Carbohydrate derivatives are involved in reproduction, the immune system, the development of disease, and blood clotting.

Fast facts on carbohydrates

"Saccharide" is another word for "carbohydrate."

Foods high in carbohydrates include bread, pasta, beans, potatoes, rice, and cereals.

One gram of carbohydrate contains approximately 4 kilocalories

High glycemic index (GI) carbohydrates quickly enter the bloodstream as glucose

Switching to a low-GI diet improves the chance of a healthy weight and lifestyle

What are carbohydrates?

Sources of carbohydrate include whole grains, fruit, and vegetables.

Carbohydrates, also known as saccharides or carbs, are sugars or starches. They are a major food source and a key form of energy for most organisms.

They consist of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen atoms.

Two basic compounds make up carbohydrates:

Aldehydes: These are double-bonded carbon and oxygen atoms, plus a hydrogen atom.

Ketones: These are double-bonded carbon and oxygen atoms, plus two additional carbon atoms.

Carbs can combine together to form polymers, or chains.

These polymers can function as:

long-term food storage molecules

protective membranes for organisms and cells

the main structural support for plants

Most organic matter on earth is made up of carbohydrates. They are involved in many aspects of life.

Types

There are various types of carbohydrate. They include monosaccharides, disaccharides, and polysaccharides.

Monosaccharides

This is the smallest possible sugar unit. Examples include glucose, galactose, or fructose. Glucose is a major source of energy for a cell. "Blood sugar" means "glucose in the blood."

In human nutrition, these include:

galactose, most readily available in milk and dairy products

fructose, mostly in vegetables and fruit

Disaccharides

Disaccharides are two monosaccharide molecules bonded together, for example, lactose, maltose, and sucrose.

Bonding one glucose molecule with a galactose molecule produces lactose. Lactose is commonly found in milk.

Bonding one glucose molecule with a fructose molecule, produces a sucrose molecule.

Sucrose is found in table sugar. It is often results from photosynthesis, when sunlight absorbed by chlorophyll reacts with other compounds in plants.

Polysaccharides

Different polysaccharides act as food stores in plants and animals. They also play a structural role in the plant cell wall and the tough outer skeleton of insects.

Polysaccharides are a chain of two or more monosaccharides.

The chain may be:

branched, so that the molecule looks like a tree with branches and twigs

unbranched, where the molecule is a straight line

Polysaccharide molecule chains may consist of hundreds or thousands of monosaccharides.

Glycogen is a polysaccharide that humans and animals store in the liver and muscles.

Starches are glucose polymers that are made up of amylose and amylopectin. Rich sources include potatoes, rice, and wheat. Starches are not water soluble. Humans and animals digest them using amylase enzymes.

Cellulose is one of the main structural constituents of plants. Wood, paper, and cotton are mostly made of cellulose.

Simple and complex carbs

You may have heard about simple and complex carbohydrates.

Monosaccharides and disaccharides are simple carbohydrates, and polysaccharides are complex.

Simple carbohydrates are sugars. They consist of just one or two molecules.They provide a rapid source of energy, but the consumer soon feels hungry again. Examples include white bread, sugars, and candies.

Complex carbohydrates consist of long chains of sugar molecules. Wholegrains and foods that still have their fiber in are complex carbs. They tend to fill you up for longer, and they are considered more healthful, as they contain more vitamins, minerals, and fiber. Examples include fruits, vegetables, pulses, and wholemeal pasta.

Nutrition

Bread, pasta, beans, potatoes, bran, rice, and cereals are carbohydrate-rich foods. Most carbohydrate-rich foods have a high starch content. Carbohydrates are the most common source of energy for most organisms, including humans.

We could get all our energy from fats and proteins if we had to. One gram of carbohydrate contains approximately 4 kilocalories (kcal), the same amount as protein. One gram of fat contains around 9 kcal.

However, carbohydrates have other important functions:

the brain needs carbohydrates, specifically glucose, because neurons cannot burn fat

dietary fiber is made of polysaccharides that our bodies do not digest

The United States (U.S.) Dietary Guidelines 2015-2020 recommend obtaining 45 to 65 percent of energy needs from carbohydrates, and a maximum of 10 percent should come from simple carbohydrates, in other words, glucose and simple sugars.

High-carb or low-carb diet?

Every couple of decades, some "breakthrough" appears, and people are advised to "avoid all fats," or "avoid carbs."

Carbohydrates have been, and will continue to be, an essential part of any human dietary requirement.

Carbs and obesity

Some argue that the global rise in obesity is linked to a high intake of carbs. However, a number of factors contribute to this problem:

Simple carbohydrates, such as sugar, increase the risk of obesity.

These include:

a reduction in physical activity

a higher consumption of junk food

a higher consumption of food additives, such as coloring, taste enhancers, and artificial emulsifiers

fewer hours sleep each night

a rise in living standards

Stress may also be a factor. One study found that the molecule neuropeptide Y (NPY), which the body releases when stressed, can "unlock" Y2 receptors in the body's fat cells, stimulating the cells to grow in size and number.

Rapidly developing countries, such as China, India, Brazil, and Mexico, are seeing a rise in obesity, as living standards and dietary habits change.

When these populations were leaner, their diets were more carb-heavy than they are now. They also consumed more natural produce and less junk food, were more physically active, and slept longer each night.

What about diet foods?

Many promoters of high or low carb diets promote branded and processed products to as weight-loss aids, such as nutritional bars, powders. These often contain colorings, artificial sweeteners, emulsifiers, and other additives, similar to junk foods.

If consumers of these products remain physically inactive, they may see some temporary weight loss, but when they quit the diet, the weight will go back on.

How can carbohydrates lead to diabetes?

When a person consumes carbohydrates, the digestive system breaks some of them down into glucose.This glucose enters the blood and raises blood sugar, or glucose, levels. When blood glucose levels rise, beta cells in the pancreas release insulin.

Insulin is a hormone that makes our cells absorb blood sugar for energy or storage. As the cells absorb the blood sugar, blood sugar levels start to drop.

When blood sugar levels drop below a certain point, alpha cells in the pancreas release glucagon. Glucagon is a hormone that makes the liver release glycogen, a sugar stored in the liver.

In short, insulin and glucagon help maintain regular levels of blood glucose in cells, especially the brain cells. Insulin brings excess blood glucose levels down, while glucagon brings levels back up when they are too low.

If blood glucose levels rise too rapidly, too often, the cells can eventually become faulty and not respond properly to insulin's instructions. Over time, the cells need more insulin to react. We call this insulin resistance.

After producing high levels of insulin for many years, the beta cells in the pancreas can wear out. Insulin production drops. Eventually it can stop altogether.

Effects of insulin resistance

Insulin resistance can lead to a wide range of health problems, including:

This is known as metabolic syndrome, and it is linked to type 2 diabetes.

Reducing the risk of metabolic syndrome

Long-term blood sugar control reduces the chances of developing metabolic syndrome.

Ways of doing this include:

consuming natural carbohydrates

good sleeping habits

regular exercise

The carbohydrates in fruits and vegetables, legumes, whole grains, and so on, tend to enter the bloodstream more slowly compared with the carbohydrates in processed foods.

The carbohydrates in junk and processed foods and drinks can cause a person to feel hungry again more quickly, because they cause glucose and insulin production levels to spike quickly. Natural foods that contain carbohydrates are less likely to do this.

The so-called Mediterranean diet is high in carbohydrates from natural sources plus a moderate amount of animal or fish protein.

This has a lower impact on insulin requirements and subsequent health problems, compared with the standard American diet.

Carbohydrates are needed for good health. Those that come from natural, unprocessed foods, such as fruit, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, and some cereals also contain essential vitamins, minerals, fiber, and key phytonutrients.

The glycemic index

Carbohydrates that raise blood sugar quickly are said to be high on the glycemic index (GI), while those with a gentler effect on blood sugar levels have a lower GI score.

Carbohydrates enter the bloodstream as glucose at different rates.

High-GI carbs enter the bloodstream quickly as glucose

Low-GI carbs enter slowly, because they take longer to digest and break down

In the long term, low-GI foods, together with exercise and regular sleep, are better for maintaining health and body weight.

Low GI carbohydrates are linked to:

less weight gain

better control of diabetes and blood sugar

healthier blood cholesterol levels

lower risk of heart disease

better appetite control

enhance physical endurance

Low GI diet

One factor that increases the GI score of a food is the milling and grinding process, which often leaves no more than starchy endosperm, or the inner part of the seed or grain. This is mainly starch.

This process also eliminates other nutrients, such as minerals, vitamins, and dietary fibers.

To follow a low-GI diet, eat more unrefined foods, such as:

oats, barley, or bran for breakfast, the less refined, the better

wholegrain bread

brown rice

plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables

fresh, whole fruit instead of juice

whole grain pasta

salads and raw vegetables

Junk foods, processed foods, and foods with too many additives should be avoided.

Recommendations

We need carbohydrates for health, but they must be the right kind of carbohydrate.

Following a well-balanced diet that includes unprocessed carbohydrates, and getting enough sleep and physical activity is more likely to lead to good health and an appropriate body weight than focusing on or eliminating a particular nutrient.

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Daniel Bubnis, MS, NASM-CPT, NASE Level II-CSS

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Carbohydrates: Uses, health benefits, and risks

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Carbohydrates, or saccharides, are biomolecules. The four major classes of biomolecules are carbohydrates, proteins, nucleotides, and lipids. Carbohydrates are the most abundant of the four. Also known as "carbs," carbohydrates have several roles in living organisms, including energy transportation. They are also structural components of plants and insects.

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How the food you eat affects your brain - Mia Nacamulli

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Metabolic syndrome | DermNet New Zealand

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Metabolic syndrome. Authoritative facts about the skin from DermNet New Zealand.

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How do carbohydrates impact your health? - Richard J. Wood