Insulin Resistance
(This page contains  links to various information about Insulin Resistance, Syndrome X, Diabetes ll/ Adult Onset Diabetes, Hypoglycemia)
Revised May 1, 2008
Syndrome X is a new term for a cluster of conditions, that, when occurring together, can include insulin resistance (the inability to properly deal with dietary carbohydrates and sugars), abnormal blood fats (such as elevated cholesterol and triglycerides), overweight, high blood pressure and may indicate a predisposition to diabetes, hypertension and heart disease. 
Click on the underlined links for full articles

See a Flash animation on insulin resistance (You must have Macromedia's Flash plug-in installed to view it.)

Contents of this page

Low GI Data Bases

The Glycemic Index

The University of Sydney Australian GI Database

Revised International Table of Glycemic Index (GI) and Glycemic Load (GL) Values—2002
How to eat your potatoes to lower the GI

Low GI Modified Menu Plan to assist weight loss

Counting Fibre Grams

Medications & Supplements

Sugar Alcohols

Carbs, Insulin - Implicated Conditions

Diseases, Medical Conditions and Deficiencies that are Associated with Blood Sugar and Insulin Control
Helicobacter pylori-induced gastritis may contribute to occurrence of postprandial symptomatic hypoglycemia
Helicobacter pylori infection and fasting plasma glucose concentration
Gastric infection by Helicobacter pylori and antral gastritis in hyperglycemic obese and in diabetic subjects
Monolaurin (Lauricidin)
The Leptin Factor - No Amylose Diet

Diabetes breakthrough: Toronto scientists cure disease in mice

Insulin and its Metabolic Effects

Better Carb'ing

William Banting: Father of the Low-Carb Diet

MSG

General Information & Studies, etc.

Our Deadly Diabetes Deception
OilOfPisces.com

What is Hypoglycemia?

Death to Diabetes (Reverse Diabetes) lecture by: DeWayne McCulley

Newly Identified "Starvation Hormone" Behind Low-Carb Diet Effectiveness

(e.g., Helicobacter pylori-induced gastritis may contribute to occurrence of postprandial symptomatic hypoglycemia.

Gastric infection by Helicobacter pylori and antral gastritis in hyperglycemic obese and in diabetic subjects.

Helicobacter pylori infection and fasting plasma glucose concentration.

Silymarin (found in the herb milk thistle) Might Help in Insulin Resistance, Cancer

Helicobacter pylori-induced gastritis may contribute to occurrence of postprandial symptomatic hypoglycemia

Gastric infection by Helicobacter pylori and antral gastritis in hyperglycemic obese and in diabetic subjects.

Helicobacter pylori infection and fasting plasma glucose concentration.

Silymarin (found in the herb milk thistle) Might Help in Insulin Resistance, Cancer

Comparison of 4 Diets of Varying Glycemic Load on Weight Loss and Cardiovascular Risk Reduction in Overweight and Obese Young Adults

Carbs Information

Carbs in All Types of Food and Drink

A High Protein Diet Can Boost Bone Health

Starchy Carbs Increase Cancer Risk in Women

Diabetes, scleroderma, oils and hormones
High Protein, Low Carb Weight Loss - Can they really work miracles & are they good for you?

Other GG Pages
Hypoglycemia (Carbohydrate Intolerance) & Low-carb Diet FAQ

Low-Carb Cooking (shopping, web sites, books, etc.)
Connection between Sleep Apnea and IR
Low-carb & Low GI Book Nook

Some Suggested Meds/Supplements for Insulin Resistance/Diabetes Type 2
 

Other information not excerpted here

How to sign up for The Glycemic Index Newsletter
Diseases,  Medical Conditions and Deficiencies that are Associated with Blood Sugar and Insulin Control

Insulin Resistance in PCOS

The Natural Diet Solution for PCOS and Infertility

An excellent book for anyone with insulin issues.  Helps with low-carb dieting and general health concerns.

Life Extension
Healthy Eating Club: Glycaemic Index Symbol on Australian Food Products
Healthy Eating Club: Table of Glycaemic Index of Foods

Fit Day Diet and Fitness Journal
 

Low GI Data Bases

Excerpt from: The Glycemic Index
"The glycemic index is a ranking of carbohydrates based on their immediate effect on blood glucose (blood sugar) levels. It compares foods gram for gram of carbohydrate. Carbohydrates that breakdown quickly during digestion have the highest glycemic indexes. The blood glucose response is fast and high. Carbohydrates that breakdown slowly, releasing glucose gradually into the blood stream, have low glycemic indexes."
Linked: July 1, 2004

The University of Sydney Australian GI Database
Low GI means a smaller rise in blood sugar and can help control established diabetes.
Low GI diets can help people lose weight and lower blood lipids
Low GI diets can improve the body's sensitivity to insulin
High GI foods can help re-fuel carbohydrate stores after exercise

Revised International Table of Glycemic Index (GI) and Glycemic Load (GL) Values—2002 
By David Mendosa

How to eat your potatoes to lower the GI
"New research is even more promising to potato lovers. A recent study reported in Nutrition Research concluded that cooled potato resulted in a significantly lower postprandial [after meal] blood glucose and area under the glucose curve than hot potatoes."

"A great way to take advantage of this, according to Professor Jennie Brand-Miller, is to make a potato salad the day before and toss it a vinaigrette dressing. “There are a couple of simple reasons for this,” she writes. “The cold storage increases the potatoes’ resistant starch content by more than a third and the acid in the vinaigrette — whether you make it with lemon juice, lime juice, or vinegar — will slow stomach emptying.”

Excerpt from: Low GI Modified Menu Plan to  assist weight loss. 
"By Adjusting your calorie intake and utilising the principle of glycaemic food management, as well as adding a small exercise (20 t 30 minutes of brisk walking) component on a daily basis, you will be able to lose all the weight you want to without feeling tired or hungry."

"The following meal planner will give some idea as to how best to construct a low G.I. modified eating plan."
Linked: March 18, 2003

Excerpt from: Counting Fibre Grams
"If you are using Oz-made products (easy way to tell - if the label shows a nutrient panel that shows 'per 100 g' as well as 'per serve' it's almost certainly a local product) then just use the carb count AS IS. The fibre has *already* been deducted for you.

If you are using an Oz database or book to check the carb counts on fresh produce, again use the carb count AS IS. Fibre has again been deducted.

If you are using US made products (the label will give a nutrient panel showing 'per serve' amounts and what percentage of calories that item is in a 'typical' 2000 calorie diet but does NOT show 'per 100g' serve unless that is the serving size) then you may deduct the fibre. Be aware, however, that sometimes if the product is made in the US the manufacturers will deduct fibre anyway and not tell you. A typical example that comes up on mailing lists all the time is the 'miracle zero-carb walnuts' where a 'per serve' amount shows exactly the same number of carbs as fibre - but in fact about half the carbs in walnuts are fibre, the other half are useable.

If you are using a US database (the USDA for instance) then you may deduct fibre as it conforms to US rules of showing a carb count OF which X is fibre.

Products from other countries? You're on your own there, although I understand that the Oz method of labeling is very similar to that used in most EU countries."
Aramanth

Linked: 9 July, 2007

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Medications & Supplements

There are medications available for Insulin Resistance which your health care professional might consider for you such as:

Metformin
Scientific Abstracts: Diabees Type ll (Adult Onset Diabetes
International Diabetes Institute: Tablets for your Diabetes

Discover the Benefits and Side Effects of Metformin

 Avandia
http://www.fda.gov/cder/consumerinfo/druginfo/avandia.htm
http://www.diabetesnsw.com.au/research/news.asp?NewsID=639

Excerpt from: Is Avandia Right for You?
"Type 2 diabetes occurs for different reasons. For some people, the pancreas does not produce enough insulin. Insulin is a hormone that helps the sugar in your blood — which comes from the food you eat — enter the cells of your body, where it is used for energy.

But for other people, the cells throughout the body develop a condition called insulin resistance. Although the pancreas produces insulin, the body’s cells cannot use it effectively, and the sugar (sometimes called glucose) stays in the blood. Over time, blood sugar levels rise, and type 2 diabetes develops.

Avandia works to overcome this insulin resistance by making the body’s cells more sensitive to insulin." 
Linked: December 4, 2002

Avandia improves insulin-secreting cells
22 December 2004

There are also a number of nutritional supplements  which are touted to be useful for Insulin Resistance, HG, etc., e.g;

Sal-Free^TM (Salicylate Free) Supplements for Blood Sugar Control

Miracle Mineral Solution
"Chlorine dioxide is the topic of author, scientist, chemist and humanitarian, Jim Humble's book entitled, "Breakthrough, The Miracle Mineral Supplement of the 21st Century". In Breakthrough, Humble describes how he discovered the use of chlorine dioxide as an alternative treatment for Malaria, which has since led to over 75,000 documented successful treatments of the disease in Africa. Humble's research aims to establish MMS as a powerful alternative treatment to most pathogen-borne diseases.  Chlorine dioxide can be used to kill "disease-bearing bacteria, yeasts, molds, fungi and algae", including MRSA and other deadly pathogens."

The inventor believes that this information is too important to the world that any one person or any group should have control. Follow the link to Jim Humble's web site on this page to download the free e-book which gives complete details of this discovery. Please help make sure that it gets to the world free. There are many medical facts that have been suppressed and this invention must not be added to that list. The name of the e-book is The Miracle Mineral Supplement of the 21st Century.

Chromium
Taurine
Vanadium
Glutamine

Monolaurin

Glycine

L-Carnitine
Alpha Lipoic Acid

L-Glutamine

Chromium

Supplements for Blood Sugar Control
Scroll Down to Chromium Topic

Chromium article:

"Based on the study that showed possible DNA damage in animals, and other considerations as noted in the link below, the Food Standards Agency in the UK advises that consumers should use other forms of chromium supplements besides chromium picolinate due to reports of genotoxicity (toxic to DNA) associated with chromium picolinate."  More.

Chromium nicotinate (GTF); High-chromium yeast; Chromium Picolinate

The potential value and toxicity of chromium picolinate as a nutritional supplement, weight loss agent and muscle development agent.

Excerpt from:  What about supplements such as Chromium?
By Ron Rosedale, M.D. Presented at Designs for Health Institute's BoulderFest August 1999 Seminar

All of my diabetics go on 1,000 mcg of chromium, some a little bit more if they are really big people. The amount is usually 500 mcg for a non-diabetic, though it depends on their insulin levels.

I use a lot of supplements. What you really want to do is to try to convert the person back into being an efficient burner of fat. Earlier we talked about when you are very insulin resistant and you are waking up in the morning with an insulin level that is elevated, you cannot burn fat but instead are burning sugar.

One of the reasons that sugar goes up so high is because that is what your cell is needing to burn, but if it is so insulin resistant it requires a blood sugar of 300 so that just by mass action some can get into the cell and be used as fuel. If you eliminate that need to burn sugar, you don't need such high levels of sugar even if you are insulin resistant.

You want to increase the ability of the cells in the body to burn fat and make that glucose burner into a fat burner. You want to make a gasoline-burning car into a diesel-burning car. Did anyone ever look at the molecular structure of diesel fuel in your spare time? It looks almost identical to a fatty acid. There is a company right now that can tell you how to alter vegetable oil to use in your Mercedes. It's just a matter of thinning it out a little bit. It is a very efficient fuel.

Chromium Central

Dangers Of Chromium Picolinate: If you want to build muscle and lose fat, will a chromium supplement help? Here's a cool look at the facts
"Although insulin promotes fat storage, chromium supporters have sometimes contended that chromium supplementation would actually help reduce body fat. To understand this, remember that insulin drives fats which are floating around in the blood into fat cells. Whenever there is too much insulin in the blood, abnormally high amounts of fat are pushed into your paunch. However, since chromium enhances the potency of insulin, it should decrease total insulin production within the body. The consequently lower insulin levels should tack less fat on to existing blubber.."

Merck

Taurine

Excerpt from: Taurine and kynureninase
Shibata Y.; Ohta T.; Nakatsuka M.; Ishizu H.; Matsuda Y.; Shindo T.; Takeuchi F.; Yoshino M.; Hirano S.; Noguchi T.
Department of Biochemistry, Aichi Medical University,Aichi Japan
Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology (United States) 1996, 403/- (55-58)

i. In vitamin Binf 6 deficient rats, xanthurenic acid shows a diabetogenic action. In diabetes induced by the Znsup 2sup + chelating agent, 8-hydroxyquinoline oxine, proinsulin synthesis is inhibited. The cytosolic enzyme, kynureninase is inhibited, but not the mitochondrial enzyme, kynurenine aminotransferase.

ii. Xanthurenic acid excretion increases in vitamin Binf 6 deficiency, and xanthurenic acid also inhibits kynureninase.

iii. In our experiments, taurine had a beneficial action in diabetes mellitus patients.

Vanadium/Vanadyl

Vanadyl Sulfate, Vanadyl Sulfate is an insulin mimic, so that it can basically do what insulin does by a different mechanism. If it went through the same insulin receptors, then it wouldn't offer any benefit, but it doesn't, it actually has been shown to go through a different mechanism to lower blood sugar, so it spares insulin and then it can help improve insulin sensitivity. To really lower a person’s insulin, I give 25 mg 3 times a day temporarily.

Excerpt from: Aging, diabetes and insulin
Note: The following abstracts are written extremely technically oriented and includes technical research and case studies. References are provided. For 'user-friendly' informative reading, check out the topical discussions presented by Dr. Martin and Dr. Davenport. More information is available by e-mail. Feel free to contact us for more information or any questions you may have!

Effects of glucose/insulin perturbations on aging and chronic disorders of aging: the evidence.

Excerpt from:  Insulin-like effect of vanadyl ion on streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats.
Sakurai H; Tsuchiya K; Nukatsuka M; Sofue M; Kawada J
Faculty of Pharmaceutical Science, University of Tokushima, Japan.
J Endocrinol (England) Sep 1990, 126 (3) p451-9

Recent studies have indicated that the blood glucose level of rats with streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetes (type 1) is normalized without an increase in the plasma insulin level by administration of sodium orthovanadate in the drinking water. The mechanism of this insulin-like effect of vanadate is unknown. In this study, we investigated whether vanadyl ion, which is less toxic than vanadate to rats, also has an insulin-like effect in rats with STZ-induced diabetes. When rats with STZ-induced diabetes were given a daily i.p. injection of vanadyl sulphate (9.3 and 4.6 mg vanadium/kg body weight), their blood glucose level decreased from about 22.2 to about 7.2 mmol glucose/l within 2 days and remained low for at least 12 weeks. This treatment did not affect their low plasma insulin level. Quantitative electron spin resonance (ESR) spectrometry showed that most of the vanadium (about 90%) in their tissues was present as a vanadyl form (VO2+). ESR analysis also showed that the vanadyl ion in tissues was bound endogenously with four oxygen ligands from either water or oxyamino acid residues in proteins. Vanadyl sulphate accelerated glucose incorporation into adipocytes of rats, suggesting that the action of vanadyl ion is peripheral. Interestingly, vanadyl sulphate at a high concentration (about 10 mmol/l) was more effective than insulin in enhancing glucose uptake. This study demonstrated that: (1) vanadyl sulphate (+4 oxidation state), like vanadate ion, normalizes the blood glucose levels of rats with STZ-induced diabetes; (2) the action of vanadyl ion is peripheral; and (3) the active form of vanadium for an insulin-like effect may be a vanadyl form, not vanadate.

L-Glutamine
Glutamine is an amino acid.that reduces sugar cravings

L-Glutamine (a little in a glass of water to stave off carb cravings),

Excerpt from: Glutamine And Human Enhancement by Robert M. Hackman, Ph.D.

Insulin Resistance
Supplemental glutamine was recently shown to reduce body weight and prevent high blood sugar and high insulin levels in mice fed a high-fat diet.6 The mice were genetically predisposed to become overweight and develop high blood-sugar levels when consuming a high-fat diet, but these unhealthy outcomes were essentially neutralized in the mice that had glutamine added to their food.

Increases in body fat and body weight and high blood sugar are thought to result from persistently high levels of insulin in the blood, a condition known as insulin resistance (see H&NB, Sept. 1997, for an article on insulin resistance). Insulin levels skyrocketed in the mice fed a high-fat diet without supplemental glutamine, while those fed the glutamine-supplemented diet showed normal insulin patterns.

Although this is only an animal trial, the potential ability of glutamine supplements to reduce insulin resistance is exciting. Insulin resistance is now estimated to occur in half of all obese people and is considered a major risk factor for heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes. While it is premature to jump from animal studies to conclusions about humans, the research so far may suggest a safe, nutritional way to adjust metabolism and look and feel healthy.

Excerpt from: L-Glutamine (conditionally essential amino acid)
Insulin Resistance and fat deposition

Increases in body fat and body weight can result from persistently high levels of blood sugar and accompanying high insulin levels, a condition known as insulin resistance. Research indicates that glutamine can normalize insulin levels, indicating that it somehow increases the body’s sensitivity to insulin. This in turn allows smaller amounts of insulin to be secreted to clear the blood sugar. This potential ability of glutamine supplements to reduce insulin resistance is exciting. Insulin resistance is now estimated to occur in half of all obese people and is considered a major risk factor for heart disease, high blood pressure and type II diabetes. 

Excerpt from: The Glutamine Analysis (was Need a Supplement Recommendation) (Full Version)

L-Glutamine supplementation is " closer to the heart" of the low carb dieter! That is, it' s ability to relieve symptoms of craving. L-Glutamine appears to act on the brain directly to naturally suppress and relieve cravings. " Glutamic acid, with the help of vitamin B6 and manganese, is also a precursor of gaba (gamma-aminobutyric acid), an important neurotransmitter in the central nervous system. Glutamic acid helps transport potassium into the spinal fluid and is itself an excitatory neurotransmitter. (gaba, however, is inhibitory.) Glutamic acid thus has been used in the treatment of fatigue, parkinsonism, schizophrenia, mental retardation, muscular dystrophy, and alcoholism. Supplemented as L-Glutamine, it penetrates the blood-brain barrier and can be used as a brain fuel. Research has shown that L-Glutamine, in a dose of 500 mg. four times daily, decreases the craving for alcohol. This amino acid is now commonly used in alcoholism clinics. L-Glutamine also seems to reduce the craving for sugar and carbohydrates and so may be helpful for some people in dealing with obesity or sugar abuse. It may also help in the healing of ulcers." 3

So we see that L-Glutamine is extremely useful in fighting cravings, especially those related to carbohydrate and sugar! This is a major reason to consider L-Glutamine if you are burdened with uncontrollable desire for carbohydrates. In one study, on a college campus, two groups of students were allowed free access to vending machines with high sugar foods. One group was given L-Glutamine while the other was given a placebo. The placebo group consumed four times as much sweets as the L-Glutamine group.

Monolaurin (Lauricidin)

Monolaurin is a patented ester of lauric acid.  Lauric acid is a naturally occurring substance found in mothers milk and coconut oil. Monolaurin possesses anti-viral, anti-fungal, anti-protozoal and anti-bacterial properties that destroy lipid coated viruses such as the flu, HIV, HHV-6 (strains A and B), EBV, CMV and h.pylori to name a few.

Glycine

Excerpt from: Tryptophan, Serotonin, and Aging

"The simplest, nonessential, amino acid, glycine, has been found to protect against carcinogenesis, inflammation, fibrosis, neurological damage, shock, asthma, and hypertension. Increased glycine improves learning (Handlemann, et al., 1989; File, et al., 1999), glycine antagonists usually impair it. Its antitoxic and cytoprotective actions are remarkable. Collagen, besides being free of tryptophan, contains a large amount of glycine--32% of its amino acid units, 22% of its weight.

The varied antiinflammatory and protective effects of glycine can be thought of as an antiserotonin action. For example, serotonin increases the formation of TNF (tumor necrosis factor, also called cachectin), glycine inhibits it. In some situations, glycine is known to suppress the formation of serotonin. Antagonists of serotonin can potentiate glycine’s effects (Chesnoy-Marchais, et al., 2000). People who ate traditional diets, besides getting a lower concentration of tryptophan, were getting a large amount of glycine in their gelatin-rich diet.

Gelatin, besides being a good source of glycine, also contains a large amount of proline, which has some antiexcitatory properties similar to glycine.

Linked 13/12/2007

Excerpt from: The metabolic response to ingested glycine

Results: Plasma concentrations of glycine and glucagon were elevated after the ingestion of glycine, as expected. The serum insulin concentration also was slightly elevated after the ingestion of glycine alone. When glycine was ingested with glucose, the plasma glucose area response was attenuated by > 50% compared with the response after the ingestion of glucose alone. The dynamics of the insulin response after the ingestion of glycine plus glucose were modestly different from those after the ingestion of glucose alone, but the area response was not significantly different.

Conclusion: The data are compatible with the hypothesis that oral glycine stimulates the secretion of a gut hormone that potentiates the effect of insulin on glucose removal from the circulation.

L-carnitine

Recommended by diabetes specialists for the breakdown of fat to energy.

L-Carnitine Improves Glucose Disposal in Type 2 Diabetic Patients

Alpha Lipoic Acid

Oral administration of RAC-alpha-lipoic acid modulates insulin sensitivity in patients with type-2 diabetes mellitus: a placebo-controlled pilot trial.
 

B Vitamins;

Biotin; Calcium; Chromium; Coenzyme Q10; Glucomannan (soluble fiber); Magnesium NAC (N-acetyl cysteine),  Quercetin; Selenium; Vitamin B6; Vitamin C;  Vitamin E; Zinc; Carb Cutter & Carb Blaster type products, etc. 

You can find some info at this site and this one.  Inserting the above supplements into a search engine will invoke more information. 

Excerpt from: ARS News and Information
"Agricultural Research Service scientists are seeking a patent on compounds extracted from cinnamon that make cells much more sensitive to insulin in test tube studies."
Also listed at: Cinnamon May Help Control Blood Sugar
"Cinnamon may significantly help people with type 2 diabetes improve their ability to regulate their blood sugar. As a matter of fact, this study found that it increased glucose metabolism 20-fold."
Linked: December 4, 2002
(Probably too concentrated for most Guai users but I list it for those who might want to watch for a pharmaceutical grade supplement to come out, also for those who consider themselves not very salicylate sensitive who have been on the protocol long enough to recognize blocking who may wish to try it.)

Diabetes and Virgin Coconut Oil - Research References
By Bruce Fife, N.D.
One fat .. diabetics can eat without fear...coconut oil. .. helps regulate blood sugar... puts less of a demand on the enzyme production of the pancreas...lessens ..stress..pancreas ...allowing ...function more efficiently...easily absorbed without the need of enzymes or insulin. ..improve insulin secretion and utilisation of blood glucose..enhances insulin action and improves binding affinity compared to other oils.
Linked: April 12, 2005

Excerpt from: Heart drug may prevent diabetes
"A widely used blood pressure drug may prevent diabetes in people at high risk for the disease, a study suggests. The preliminary research found that patients taking the ACE inhibitor called ramipril — sold as Altace — reduced their risk of diabetes by more than 30 percent."
Linked: April 20, 2003

A search on the web will invoke further information on all these meds & Supps

(This is NOT medical advice, merely suggestions that you might consider and that you should first discuss with your Health Care Professional.)

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Sugar Alcohols

Bonny Talks About Sugar Alcohols/Polyols

Excerpt from: Low Carb Lifestyle

"This article discusses the basics of sugar alcohols and speculates about why they might stall weight loss and/or cause gastro-intestinal discomfort."

Low Carb Products with No Sugar Alcohols.

Excerpt from:  A Message from Atkins: All Carbohydrates Are Not Equal
"...not all carbohydrates behave the same way in a person's body. While most carbohydrates — sugar, which imparts 4 calories per gram, is the best example — are digested by your body and turned into blood sugar, other carbohydrates behave differently. Some carbs are digested by your body but not turned into glucose. And, some carbs — such as fiber — can impart as little as 0 calories per gram, are not digested at all and pass through your body as waste. In either of these last two cases there is no noted impact on blood sugar levels. However, the FDA and other health organizations have not yet focused on this important biochemical difference and treat all carbohydrates as the same."

"Example: Atkins Chocolate Mocha Crunch Advantage Bar
    Total Carbohydrate (as defined by the FDA) 19 grams
    Non-Caloric and/or Non-blood sugar impacting Carbs 15.5 grams
    Polydextrose/Fiber 11 grams
    Glycerine 4.5 grams
Net Carbohydrates of interest to consumers who do Atkins 3.5 grams
(Mainly from the soy nuggets, cocoa and residual carbs found in the sources for the protein blend)"
Linked: August 11, 2003

*************

Excerpt from: Can You Really Exclude Sugar Alcohols, Glycerin, Polydextrose, and Fiber?  By David Mendosa

"The concept sounds simple — only carbohydrates have more than minimal effect on blood glucose. The problem with understanding it is, however, that different carbohydrates affect blood glucose to different degrees. That’s the basis of the glycemic index, which is having more and more influence on low-carb diets like that of the late Dr. Robert C. Atkins."

*************

Excerpt from:  Low Carb Lifestyle: Sugar Alcohols
"Sugar alcohols seem to stall weight loss for some of us and can cause considerable gastro-intestinal discomfort as well.

This article discusses the basics of sugar alcohols and speculates about why they might stall weight loss and/or cause gastro-intestinal discomfort.

Sugar alcohols occur naturally in fruits and vegetables such as berries, pineapple, carrots, asparagus etc.  The sugar alcohols that are added to low carb products are not naturally occurring sugar alcohols but are processed and refined in a variety of ways."
Linked: January 17, 2005

Excerpt from: What are Polyols?  Polyols are derived from sugars, but they are not processed by the body like sugars. Polyols have many advantages such as reduced calories as compared to sugar, reduced insulin response, ability to be labeled "sugar-free" and "no sugar added", do not promote tooth decay, and do not brown in bakery applications (i.e. no Maillard reaction).
Linked: August 11, 2003

*************

Excerpt from: Q and A on Polyols
"Q: What sugar replacers (polyols) are now used in the U.S.?
A: Those currently used in foods in the U.S. are erythritol, hydrogenated starch hydrolysates (including maltitol syrups), isomalt, lactitol, maltitol, mannitol, sorbitol and xylitol."

"Q: How do their (Polyols) calories compare with sugar?
A: Sugar provides approximately 4.0 calories per gram. The FDA allows the use of the following caloric values:

3.0 calories per gram hydrogenated starch hydrolysates
2.6 calories per gram sorbitol
2.4 calories per gram xylitol
2.1 calories per gram maltitol
2.0 calories per gram isomalt
2.0 calories per gram lactitol
1.6 calories per gram mannitol
0.2 calories per gram erythritol "
Linked: August 11, 2003

Excerpt from: Sugar Alcohols by Doreen
All About Sugar Alcohols (Maltitol, Sorbitol, Isomalt, etc.)
There are some claims that sugar alcohols don't have carbs, and therefore don't count; that they can be completely subtracted if listed on the label. This statement is not entirely "false" but it is misleading. Sugar alcohols do have carbs, and approx. 1/2 to 3/4 the calories of regular sugar. They are more slowly and incompletely absorbed from the small intestine than sugar, thus producing a much smaller and slower rise in blood sugar ... and consequently insulin. But this is a YMMV thing. Some Type 1 diabetics have reported that they sense an immediate "sugar rush" from eating even a small amount. Others notice no change, and absolutely no effect on ketosis.
Linked: August 14, 2003

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Carbs, Insulin and Implicated Conditions

Diseases,  Medical Conditions and Deficiencies that are Associated with Blood Sugar and Insulin Control
"Understanding the many factors that affect blood sugar control will help you maintain better control of your blood sugars."

Helicobacter pylori-induced gastritis may contribute to occurrence of postprandial symptomatic hypoglycemia.

Helicobacter pylori infection and fasting plasma glucose concentration.

Gastric infection by Helicobacter pylori and antral gastritis in hyperglycemic obese and in diabetic subjects.

See: Monolaurin (Lauricidin)
Monolaurin is a patented ester of lauric acid.  Lauric acid is a naturally occurring substance found in mothers milk and coconut oil. Monolaurin possesses anti-viral, anti-fungal, anti-protozoal and anti-bacterial properties that destroy lipid coated viruses such as the flu, HIV, HHV-6 (strains A and B), EBV, CMV and h.pylori to name a few.
Entry date: April 13, 2005

Excerpt from: The Leptin Factor - Ritchie Shoemaker, M.D.
Obesity is a symptom . . . not a diagnosis!
"Imagine my surprise years ago, when my treatment of obese patients – along with my continuing inquiries on the causes of the disease- demonstrated a remarkable fact: the mechanisms that underlay obesity shared many of the same physiologic principles involved in chronic, biotoxin-associated illnesses. It was crystal clear that a proper diagnosis of obesity involved looking at interactions of genetics and hormones like leptin and insulin, as well as the chemical messengers called cytokines (more on inflammation and cytokines coming up) that help white blood cells monitor and manage our internal immune defenses."

"All you really need to know in order to take advantage of the molecular research that has radically changed our understanding of obesity in recent years is one simple fact: Weight-loss is actually about hormones (such as insulin and leptin) . . . and specifically about defeating the “resistance” to the effect those hormones normally produce."

"While we can’t alter the genetic predisposition to leptin and insulin problems, we can control that resistance with new medications and the No-Amylose Diet."

"....amylose – the key carbohydrate that triggers a rapid rise in blood sugar and thus triggers both insulin and leptin resistance.

"What the CDC hasn’t figured out yet, however, forms the heart and soul of this chapter – the startling fact that obesity is actually a chronic illness, either genetically based in abnormal leptin and insulin physiology or acquired in ways related to the immune responses that are part of other chronic, “biotoxin-associated” environmental illnesses of our day (such as Sick Building Syndrome). Indeed, the biggest news in weight-loss treatment right now is the recent discovery – based on research from the seemingly unrelated field of chronic biotoxin illnesses such as “Post-Lyme Disease Syndrome” – that there is a close link between our increasingly chemically polluted environment and a new family of biotoxin-linked ailments that often trigger both obesity and diabetes."

Lose the Weight You Hate By Ritchie C. Shoemaker Dr Shoemaker's book contains original recipes, case studies and lots of new material. It imparts the facts about the genetic basis of weight loss, maintenance, cholesterol, exercise, fiber, gout and other topics. Read it if you want to lose weight and keep it off- while reducing your odds of many illnesses.

"...the lack of precision in defining “fat-causing carbohydrates” caused motivated patients to abandon the Atkins plan and others like it, because the dieters weren’t allowed to eat the fruits and vegetables that are not only safe for a weight-loss plan, but also essential in order to maintain a reasonable “quality of life” while losing weight."

Linked: September 6, 2003

Glucose Metabolism Implicated in Breas~t Cancer
Excerpt From Dr Nancy Dunne's 'PCOS Health Review' newsletter.  Click here to subscribe. 

Many PCOS women have elevated or fluctuating levels of blood sugar (glucose). A study conducted at the University of Buffalo has shown that high blood sugar levels leads to increased breas~t cancer risk in premenopausal women.

The study followed 10,786 women for 5.5 years. They found that women with the highest blood glucose levels were 2.8 times as likely to develop breas~t cancer as compared to those with the lowest glucose levels.

If your blood tests have shown that you have a high-normal or clearly elevated blood glucose level, you will want to take steps to control both your blood glucose and your insulin levels in order to reduce your risk of developing breas~t cancer later on. A healthier diet and regular exercise is an excellent way to get started.

Source: Muti, P et al, Fasting glucose is a risk factor for breas~t cancer: a prospective study, Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev, 2002, 11(11): 1361-8
Entry date: December 5, 2004

Excerpt from: Insulin Resistance in PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: 
"At least 30% of women with PCOS have insulin resistance, although some investigators claim a much stronger association exists. Hyperinsulinemia (high blood insulin levels) produces hyperandrogenism (excessive levels of male hormones such as testosterone) by stimulating ovarian androgen production and by reducing serum sex-hormone binding globulin (SHBG). This can heighten PCOS symptoms."

"Insulin resistance (also known as Syndrome X) is the inability of insulin to perform its job effectively in the body. In early stages of Syndrome X, the body simply compensates by causing the beta cells of the pancreas to produce more insulin. Ultimately in some women, however, the beta cells may wear out and the body ceases to produce insulin in the amounts needed. The resultant condition is Type II diabetes mellitus."
Linked: April 30, 2004

Excerpts from: Diabetes breakthrough: Toronto scientists cure disease in mice

"In a discovery that has stunned even those behind it, scientists at a Toronto hospital say they have proof the body's nervous system helps trigger diabetes, opening the door to a potential near-cure of the disease that affects millions of Canadians.

Diabetic mice became healthy virtually overnight after researchers injected a substance to counteract the effect of malfunctioning pain neurons in the pancreas.

"I couldn't believe it," said Dr. Michael Salter, a pain expert at the Hospital for Sick Children and one of the scientists. "Mice with diabetes suddenly didn't have diabetes any more."

"They also conclude that there are far more similarities than previously thought between Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes, and that nerves likely play a role in other chronic inflammatory conditions, such as asthma and Crohn's disease."

"They also discovered that their treatments curbed the insulin resistance that is the hallmark of Type 2 diabetes"

Read full article at:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1754005/posts

Linked: December 17, 2006

Excerpts from: Insulin and It's Metabolic Effects Ron Rosedale, M.D.(diabetes expert) Presented at Designs for Health Institute's BoulderFest August 1999 Seminar

"If your mother, while you were in the womb was eating a high carbohydrate diet which is turning into sugar, we have been able to show that the fetus in animals becomes more insulin resistant. Worse yet, they are able to use sophisticated measurements, and if that fetus happens to be a female, they find that the eggs of that fetus are more insulin resistant."

"Any time your cell is exposed to insulin it is going to become more insulin resistant. That is inevitable, we cannot stop that, but the rate we can control. An inevitable sign of aging is an increase in insulin resistance. That rate is variable, if you can slow down that rate you can become a centenarian, and a healthy one. You can slow the rate of aging. Not just even the rate of disease, but the actual rate of aging itself can be modulated by insulin."

"Carbohydrates are fiber or non-fiber. Few things in life are as clear-cut as this. Fiber is good for you, and a non-fiber carb is bad for you. You can bank on that. There is not a whole lot of middle ground. If you have a carbohydrate that is not a fiber it is going to be turned into a sugar....."

"...every time you have a surge of sugar and you have a surge of insulin, you get more and more insulin resistant and all of the problems we've talked about."

"...insulin sensitivity is going to determine for the most part how long you are going to live and how healthy you are going to be. It determines the rate of aging more so than anything else we know right now."

"It doesn't matter what disease you are talking about, whether you are talking about a common cold or cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis or cancer, the root is always going to be at the molecular and cellular level, and I will tell you that insulin is going to have its hand in it, if not totally control it."

"The lowering of insulin is going to be better than any possible detriment of any of the therapies you are using. Insulin is associated with cancer, everything.
 

Insulin should be tested on everybody repeatedly, and why it is not is only strictly because there hasn't been drugs till recently that could effect insulin, so there is no way to make money off of it. Fasting insulin is one way to look at it, not necessarily the best way. But it is the way that everybody could do it. Any family doctor can measure a fasting insulin. There are other ways to measure insulin sensitivity that are more complex that we do sometimes. We use intravenous insulin and watch how rapidly their blood sugar crashes in a fasting state in 15 minutes and that assesses insulin sensitivity, then you give them dextrose to make sure they don't crash any further. There are other ways that are utilized to directly assess insulin sensitivity, but you can get a pretty good idea just by doing a fasting insulin."
Linked: August 4, 2003

Environmental Toxins and Carbohydrate Metabolism
Description:
"The presentation posted here was given to the Society of Certified Nutritionists in Las Vegas, Nevada on Saturday, June 27th 2003. The main focus of the talk was the effects of environmental toxins on carbohydrate metabolism and why the chemicals we are being bombarded with may be at the root of weight gain."

Excerpt from: Insulin Resistance and Syndrome X:  Heart Disease, Diabetes and Obesity by J.C. Waterhouse, Ph.D. (Summary of presentation at AAEM Meetings, 1998)

"James Scheer, D.O., M.S., (N. Charleston, S. Carolina, james@coem.com) made a presentation on dietary influences on Syndrome X, a condition of insulin resistance, which often leads to obesity, diabetes and heart disease.  The human diet of Paleolithic times (during which humans evolved) was based on a hunter-gatherer mode of life, with an emphasis on fish, wild game, vegetables, fruits and nuts (Eaton, 1985, New Engl. J. Med. 312:283-289; Eaton, 1996. J. Nutr 126:1732-1740).  There was no refined sugar, breads, cereals or dairy products and there was a low level of saturated fats relative to unsaturated fats.  In contrast, the modern diet is very high in sugar and refined carbohydrates, with decreasing fruit, vegetable and fat intake (with high percentages of saturated, trans and omega-6 fats)."
Linked: July 20, 2003

Excerpt from: Adrenal Stress Index and Carbohydrates: Patterns of Cortisol and DHEA J.C. Waterhouse, Ph.D. (Summary of presentation at AAEM meeting, 1996)

Elias Ilyia, Ph.D. of Diagnos-Techs Laboratory presented a very informative talk on adrenal function and stress. He showed how a more detailed functional assessment of adrenal function, where bioactive cortisol and DHEA is measured in the saliva at 4 different times of the day, can provide useful information for a number of chronic conditions. He identified several phases of the body's response to chronic stress.
Linked: July 20, 2003

Better Carb'ing

Excerpt from: The Most Common Low Carb Misconceptions
Loads of good information.

"Almost every "anti-low carb" article or news report says the same thing: reduced-carb diets don’t have enough fruits and vegetables. But if you talk to someone who follows a healthy low carb way of eating, or carefully read most of the books about low carb diets, you’ll find that nothing could be further from the truth! Not only is eating a wide variety of non-starchy vegetables and low-sugar fruits one of the most important things we can do for our long-term health, it is very easy to fit them into a healthy low carb eating plan. In fact, many low-carbers find themselves eating more vegetables and fruits than ever before, without really trying."

Excerpt from: William Banting:  Father of the Low-carb Diet

"When one thinks of low-carbohydrate diets today, one tends to think that they are "new" or "revolutionary" in some way. Popular books certainly give that impression. But nothing could be further from the truth."

"William Banting was well-regarded in 19th century society. He was a fine carpenter and an undertaker to the rich and famous. But if he had remained only that, his name would probably be remembered today merely as the Duke of Wellington's coffin maker, if indeed it were remembered at all.

None of Banting's family on either parent's side had any tendency to obesity. However, when he was in his thirties, William started to become overweight and he consulted an eminent surgeon, a kind personal friend...."

Linked: April 3, 2005

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Excerpt from: Palatinit anticipates EU market entry for slow-release carbohydrate
17/01/2005 - German firm Palatinit has applied for regulatory approval to launch its slow energy release carbohydrate, isomaltulose, on the European market, writes Lindsey Partos.

Already on the US market with self-affirmed GRAS approval, the sucrose-derived disaccharide will be targeted at European food manufacturers looking to enhance the nutritional value of their finished foods.
Linked: January 19, 2005

Excerpt from: New low carb potato to debut in January says University of Florida researcher 08 Jun 2004

"Potatoes may be on the no-no list for high-protein diets, but a University of Florida researcher says a new low-carb potato will help win back die-hard carbohydrate counters."

"Hutchinson said 3 ½ ounces of the new potato contain about 13 grams of carbohydrate compared to around 19 grams in the same size serving of a Russet Burbank potato.

"Although potatoes are not part of the Atkins diet, the fact of the matter is that potatoes contain no fat, and they are a good source of fiber, protein and vitamins. They have vitamin C and B-6, and they are low in sodium and high in potassium. And, potato skins are an excellent source of fiber," Hutchinson said."
Linked: June 14, 2004

Excerpt from:  Resistant Starch Makes Better Carbs
Foods containing high levels of resistant starch yield fewer calories and lower glycaemic loads—important formulation considerations for diabetics as well as the weight-conscious. Guy A Crosby, PhD, processes.

"Proponents of high protein, low carbohydrate diets argue that intake of carbohydrates—especially starch—should be restricted. Dietary starch is converted to glucose, which the body stores for relatively short periods as glycogen, a high molecular-weight polymer of glucose. The body is capable of storing approximately 200 to 500 grams of glycogen.1 Any excess glucose that is not rapidly burned as fuel or stored as glycogen is converted to fat and stored in adipose tissue. Protein proponents therefore argue that to lose weight we should eat less starch.

In fact, not all starch is rapidly converted to glucose, as was commonly believed as recently as in the 1980s. We now know that a significant portion of dietary starch escapes digestion and absorption in the small intestine and reaches the large intestine essentially intact.2 This portion of starch is called resistant starch (RS) because it is resistant to stomach acid and digestive enzymes.3 Thus, RS behaves as dietary fibre, providing faecal bulk and fuel for the beneficial bacteria in the large intestine.4"

"Foods containing starch composed of high levels of RS, such as energy bars, have been shown to dramatically decrease postprandial blood glucose and insulin levels and improve blood glucose control in subjects with type 2 diabetes.14"
Linked: September 9, 2003

Excerpt from: The Yoghurt Exception
"For many of us, starting on the low-carb path has meant being a label reader and always, always looking to the carb counts. If you were a person that enjoyed a dish of yogurt or a glass of buttermilk, you might have assumed you can no longer have them –– at least in any real quantity –– since their labels show them to be high in carbs. But as you'll see when you read on, you can't always trust the label to give you the entire story. Doctors Jack Goldberg, and Karen O'Mara explain in their book The GO-Diet, there's an exception here that works to your advantage. With proper credit to them, here's the skinny:"
Linked: August 11, 2003

Excerpt from: Xylitol: A Sweet Alternative
"Xylitol Improves Diabetes and Carbohydrate Sensitivity
Increases of blood glucose, serum lipids and insulin have been associated with sugar consumption. Advantages of using xylitol to improve blood sugar control include:

Excerpt from: What about "Carb Blockers? Bill Bailey, Ph.D., CNHP
Low Carb Nexus® - Articles
"One solution to this additional hunger and the weight gain caused by insulin is to drastically cut back on carbohydrate consumption. This is, obviously, what low carb dieting is all about! One stops eating the foods that "drive" the weight gain, by restricting carbohydrate consumption. That means cutting out refined carbohydrates in all shapes and forms, including both sugars and highly processed foods, which naturally upset the body's ability to handle the hormone insulin. It becomes harder for insulin to do it's job, therefore the pancreas produces MORE insulin.  The scientific name for this is condition is "insulin resistance.""
Linked: August 4, 2003

Clinical Studies Phase 2  Carb Blocker.

Excerpt from: Glucobay.  Acarbose acts primarily on the digestion of starch and other complex carbohydrates that are broken down into oligosaccharides by amylases in the duodenum and the upper jejunum. As oligosaccharides are difficult to absorb, they are broken down into monosaccharides. This is carried out by the alpha-glucosidase in the cells of the brush border of the small intestine. Alpha glucosidase also hydrolyses saccharose into monosaccharides.Its inhibitory potency is ranked: glucoamylase>sucrase>maltase>isomaltase. Its most important action is inhibition of sucrase, the enzmye which breaks down sucrose to glucose and fructose. Glucobay also inhibits the breakdown of the larger oligosaccharides.
Linked: July 31, 2003

MSG

MSG - Slowly Poisoning America
Author Unknown

"I wondered if there could be an actual chemical causing the massive obesity epidemic, so did a friend of mine, John Erb. He was a research assistant at the University of Waterloo, and spent years working for the government.  

He made an amazing discovery while going through scientific journals for a book he was writing called The Slow Poisoning of America.  In hundreds of studies around the world, scientists were creating obese mice and rats to use in diet or diabetes test studies.

No strain of rat or mice is naturally obese, so the scientists have to create them. They make these morbidly obese creatures by injecting them with a chemical when they are first born. The MSG triples the amount of insulin the pancreas creates, causing rats (and humans?) to become obese They even have a title for the race of fat rodents they create: "MSG-Treated Rats". "

Linked: December 7, 2005
 

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General Information and Studies, etc

Excerpt from: Our Deadly Diabetes Deception
"The first step to curing diabetes is to stop believing the lie that the disease is incurable."
"Prominent among the causative agents in our modern diabetes epidemic are the engineered fats and oils sold in todays supermarkets."
Linked: 1 May, 2008

Excerpt from: OilOfPisces.com
Summaries of the latest research concerning fish oils and diabetes
Linked: 1 May, 2008

WHAT IS HYPOGLYCEMIA
By Jurriaan Plesman BA(Psych), Post Grad Dip Clin Nutr
"Hypoglycemia means low blood sugar level. This term is used to describe a metabolic disorder, that may manifest itself in a variety of physical and 'psychological' symptoms. One must understand that glucose is a source of both physical (muscle) and mental (brain) energy. The brain, representing only 2 percent by weight of the body, has no energy stores of its own. It requires about 60 per cent percent of the all available glucose in the body and consumes about 120 grams per days regardless of whether we are asleep or awake. About one teaspoon of glucose is available in the blood at any time. Many doctors believe that hypoglycemia is due to ‘insulin resistance’, which it shares with diabetes. see Robyn Cosford1 As in diabetes, when a patient injects excess insulin, it causes the blood glucose concentrations to crash. This happens in non-diabetic hypoglycemia when the body produces too much insulin called hyperinsulinism. Consequently any extreme fluctuation in the supply of glucose to the brain will inevitably affect our emotions, feelings and personality. The symptoms of hypoglycemia may mimic and even cause many psychological and physical disorders some of which are shown in the following list in order of frequency and as reported by hypoglycemics;

Nervousness, irritability, exhaustion,
Faintness, dizziness, tremors, cold sweats,
Depression, migraine headaches, insomnia, digestive disturbances,
Forgetfulness, mood swings, anxiety, aggression, violence, anti-social behaviour,
Sugar addiction, drug addiction and alcoholism,
Mental confusion, limited attention span, learning disability,
Lack of sex drive in women and men, lack of concentration,
Itching and crawling sensation on skin, blurred vision, nightmares,
Phobias, fears and neurodermatitis, nervous breakdown,
Bedwetting and hyperactivity in children.

As will be clear later on, hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar level, is only one form of what Dr. George Samra in his book THE HYPOGLYCEMIC CONNECTION II2 describes as The Hypoglycemic Syndrome. He refers to the four most important symptoms: 1) Depression or moodiness, 2) tiredness, 3) memory impairment or poor concentration, and 4) history of sugar addiction. At least three of the symptoms should indicate the possibility of hypoglycemic syndrome."
 

Excerpt from: Newly Identified "Starvation Hormone" Behind Low-Carb Diet Effectiveness
The effectiveness of low-carbohydrate, high-fat diets may depend on increased levels of a newly identified "starvation hormone" produced by the liver, report researchers in the journal Cell Metabolism. Two studies in the issue show that the hormone plays a critical role in the metabolic shift seen in animals after a period of fasting and in those fed an Atkins-like diet. That shift is characterized by an increased reliance on fat stores as an alternative source of fuel when glucose levels are low."

"The degree to which the physiological effects of a ketogenic diet in humans mimic those seen in mice remains to be determined, but Maratos-Flier is almost certain that low-carb, high-fat diets won't work for everyone. "It may be that some people are more likely to turn on FGF21 than others," she speculated. "In obese individuals, for example, high insulin levels may interfere with the liver hormone."

Excerpt from: Helicobacter pylori-induced gastritis may contribute to occurrence of postprandial symptomatic hypoglycemia.

"In our clinical experience, postprandial symptomatic hypoglycemic (PSH) patients with H. pylori gastritis showed a substantial improvement in their hypoglycemic symptoms after the eradication of H. pylori."

Excerpt from: Gastric infection by Helicobacter pylori and antral gastritis in hyperglycemic obese and in diabetic subjects.

"Our data suggest that both obesity and type II diabetes may be associated with an increased incidence of H. pylori-colonization."

Excerpt from: Helicobacter pylori infection and fasting plasma glucose concentration.

Excerpt from: Silymarin (found in the herb milk thistle) Might Help in Insulin Resistance, Cancer  "Silymarin, an antioxidant flavonoid complex derived from the herb milk thistle (Silybum marianum), has long been used as a liver tonic. Two new studies show that it can reduce insulin resistance (the underpinning of adult-onset diabetes, hypertension, and hypercholesterolemia) and diabetic complications. A third study reports that it may have some anti-cancer benefits as well."

Archives of Internal Medicine: Vol. 166 No. 14, July 24, 2006
Excerpt from: Comparison of 4 Diets of Varying Glycemic Load on Weight Loss and Cardiovascular Risk Reduction in Overweight and Obese Young Adults

"Conclusion Both high-protein and low-GI regimens increase body fat loss, but cardiovascular risk reduction is optimized by a high-carbohydrate, low-GI diet."
 

Excerpt from: Carbs Information
Facts About Carbohydrates Diet Food and Nutrition

Answers to Questions About Carbs in Food..Glycemic Index.. Blood Glucose.. Low GI Diet Diabetes.. Low Carb Diets.. Dr Atkins Diet
South Beach Diet.. Zone.. Low Carb Recipes Plus Net Carbs & Glycemic Load of All Foods

Excerpt from: Carbs in All Types of Food and Drink
Digestible or 'Net' Carbs - Plus Details of Dietary Fiber