According to Australian researchers, a high carbohydrate, low-GI diet is the best for weight loss and for cardiovascular health. At least, they produced better results than the high-protein diets that they were compared to in an intensive 12-week study - the first study in the world to directly compare the two types of diets and their impact on health and weight/weight loss.
Over 120 women classified as overweight or obese participated in the study and were assigned to one of four (reduced calorie) diets: high protein/ low GI, high protein/high GI, high carbohydrate/log GI, high carbohydrate/high GI. The high carb dieters showed the most weight loss, but lowering the GI of that high carb diet doubled fat loss. Low GI coupled with high protein was the better of the two protein diet choices. Low GI also led to lower risk factors for heart disease, including having a lowering effect on the levels of LDL cholesterol.
The Glycemic Index ranks foods based on how they affect blood sugar levels. Low GI foods cause a slight increase, while high GI foods will cause a sharp spike. Low GI foods include oats, bran, apples, pears, peas, milk and yogurt.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
7-25-2006 @ 4:49PM
Cat said...
I don't follow a strict "low-gi" diet, (ie. I love honey) But I will say that it just goes to show that the fatkins diet is in fact ludacris.
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7-26-2006 @ 12:58AM
extramsg said...
Hey "Ludacris", you might want to read a little better:
--QUOTE
The high-protein, high GI diet was equally effective for fat loss as the high carbohydrate, low GI diet.
But both diets had diverse effects on LDL, or bad cholesterol, with the high protein, high-GI group showing increased levels of bad cholesterol, while there were significant reductions in those on the high carbohydrate, low-GI diet.
However, those on the high-protein, low GI diet did not experience the same rise in total LDL cholesterol suggesting the importance of low GI foods alongside a high meat intake.
--ENDQUOTE
It seems the high protein diets work pretty damn well, too. The point people should get is that lowering the glycemic index is a good thing and a good addition to any type of diet, a multiplicity of which work. So people should choose a diet they think they can live with.
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