Milling & Baking News - September 21, 2021 - 7

TUES | 09 21 2021
Editorial
Learning from studies on
'fast carbs,' death by sugar
A
rticles about two different
research studies on carbohydrates
in the diet appeared on
Page 16 of the Sept. 7 issue of this publication.
A side-by-side look at the articles
offers a way to see both that major criticisms
of grain-based foods are woefully
short of evidence and just how difficult
it is for the industry to cut through the
noise and negativity related to food and
health.
The first article punches a large hole
in a popular theory that consumption
of high-glycemic foods, or " fast carbs, "
results in weight gain and even obesity.
Foods with high glycemic index
(GI) scores include white bread, whole
wheat bread, white rice, ready-to-eat
cereal and potatoes. In a study published
in Advances in Nutrition, researchers
said high-GI foods are theorized to be
fattening because they trigger insulin
secretion after eating, which in turn
accelerates the storage of body fat. While
the 2010 US Dietary Guidelines Advisory
Committee concluded no connection
between dietary GI and body weight had
been conclusively established, a 2015
scientific consensus statement concluded
low-GI diets were " probably " relevant to
obesity prevention.
In the Advances in Nutrition study, a
research team led by Glenn Gaesser,
PhD, of Arizona State University,
reviewed meta-analyses of observational
studies comparing body mass
index of individuals based on dietary
GI and randomized controlled trials
comparing low-GI and high-GI diets
for weight loss. Dr. Gaesser and his
team (Julie Miller Jones, PhD, of St.
Catherine University and Siddhartha
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S. Angadi, PhD, of the University of
Virginia) reviewed whether research
subjects consuming the most high-GI
foods gained more weight or were more
likely to be obese than those ingesting
the lowest dietary GI. From 35 observational
studies that included 43 cohorts
of women, men and mixed groups
(evaluating nearly 2 million adults), the
Given the volume of studies aimed at casting
carbohydrates in a bad light, it shouldn't be
surprising high-GI foods are still widely viewed
with suspicion.
researchers looked at 27 cohorts. In 19
(70%) of the cohorts either there was no
BMI difference between the highest and
lowest GI groups or BMI was lower in
the highest GI groups. Only 8 of the 27
cohorts showed significantly lower BMI
in the group with the lowest GI intake.
" GI as a measure of carbohydrate quality
appears to be unimportant as a determinant
of BMI or diet-induced weight
loss, " the researchers conclude. " We
contend that GI is an imprecise measure
of the glycemic response of a food when
applied to foods in a meal. "
In view of the evidence to the contrary,
the researchers say it is " surprising
that the hypothesis that low-GI diets are
superior for weight loss and obesity prevention
persists. "
Given the volume of studies aimed at
casting carbohydrates in a bad light, it
shouldn't be surprising high-GI foods
are still widely viewed with suspicion.
The scientific community appears
determined to find " bad food " culprits
for the nation's weight problem, which
is evident in the second article on Page
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16 of the Sept. 7 issue. A study, published
in the American Heart Association's
Circulation in late August, concluded
that reducing 20% of sugar from
packaged foods and 40% from beverages
may prevent 490,000 cardiovascular
deaths in the United States over
the lifetime of the current adult population
(163 million people, aged 35 and
higher). The researchers advocate a
major sugar reduction in the food supply
to prevent, over the next 10 years,
what they estimate at an average of
6,700 deaths per year. Life is precious,
but for context, US deaths attributed
to alcohol total 95,000 a year; opiates,
46,802; cigarettes, 480,000; car
accidents, 37,000; flu, 36,000; guns,
40,000; and COVID-19, 291,000 (in 2021,
through mid-September).
Research like Dr. Gaesser's is crucial
to helping debunk specious theories
about " fast carbs. " The Circulation
study about sugar is one of an endless
number seeking to portray carbohydrates,
including bread and other flourbased
foods, as unhealthy. Far greater
resources devoted to research like Dr.
Gaesser's are urgently needed. MBN
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Milling & Baking News - September 21, 2021

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