Diet for the Urban Troglodyte - 04. Glycemic index

Have a look at the cave painting of Lascaux and Altamira [1]. The reasons for our ancestors to paint these pictures are unknown, maybe gratitude for hunting success. Nowhere will you find a list of foods with glycemic index (GI).

The glycemic index indicates the effect of foods on a person’s blood glucose level. Some people think this index could be used for diet. “The glycemic effect of foods depends on a number of factors, such as the type of starch, physical entrapment of the starch molecules within the food, fat and protein content of the food and organic acids or their salts in the meal.” [2]

According to this classification fructose or sweet fruits have a low, grape juice or common sugar a middle, and glucose and high fructose corn syrup a high glycemic index. A Super Supreme Pizza has a lower index than carrots and green peas.

There are high variations in different individuals as well as in the same person at different times: the same food does not cause the same increase in blood glucose levels. [3]

Fats delay the gastric emptying and thus delay the glycemic response.

The glycemic index may vary widely depending on the type of preparation. , the GI can vary widely. Noodles cooked for different length of time may have a variation of 65 % in glycemic index. It is hardly possible to give precise information on the glycemic index for processed products if you only look at isolated ingredients.

However, you will studies that conclude: "Lowering the glycaemic load of the diet appears to be an effective method of promoting weight loss and improving lipid profiles and can be simply incorporated into a person's lifestyle." [4]

Miguel des Cervantes, die author of Don Quixotte, said: “No hay libro tan malo que no tenga algo bueno.” So, we’ll try to get something out of this confounded index.

The caveman didn’t have to use a glycemic index, hence no lists in the caves of Altamira or Lascaux, as he had hardly any access to high GI foods – save for some wild honey every now and then. The diet for the urban troglodyte isn’t a weight reduction diet, though this will happen in the course of time, if you’re overweight. You can use the GI, if you apply at the same time shunning processed foods. A Super Supreme Pizza may have a low GI, but it is highly processed, and thus highly discouraged to be eaten.

Moreover we can conclude:

·         whole grain better than processed grain

·         or: dietary fiber lowers GI

·         raw or al dente better than overcooked

·         berries better than juice

Urban troglodyte, look at such a glycemic index list of foods once, take out the principles and forget the list!

Links:

[1] https://de.slideshare.net/banquetearte/2-chauvet-altamira-lascaux-levantina

[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glycemic_index

[3] https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glyk%C3%A4mischer_Index

[4] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17636786

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