Low-GI diet k.o.'s low-fat again

....the American Heart Association is no doubt busily petitioning
the Supreme Court to have the result overturned...

They should report the gender differences in the results as well
as the fat composition and fiber composition of each diet (you
can, after all, have a low-fat, low-GI diet...)

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases...1124155206.htm

Source: University Of Minnesota

Date: 2004-12-02

Low-glycemic Load Diet May Improve Ability To Stay On Diet Longer

Low-glycemic load diets, those low in sugars with moderate levels
of carbohydrates and not as low in fat and protein, may lower
metabolism less when compared with low-fat diets, making the
dieters feel less tired, cold and hungry, as well as improve
cardiovascular risk factors, according to an article in the Nov. 24
issue of The Journal of the American Medical Association.

The research found that composition of diet, the sources of
calories, can affect physiological adaptations that defend body
weight. On a low-glycemic load diet, resting energy expenditure
(REE) decreased less than with the low-fat diet, which could
amount to several pounds of weight change per year, given this
effect would persist over a long term. For comparative purposes, a
similar effect on caloric expenditure could be obtained by walking
a mile per day (80 kcal/d).

Reduction in glycemic load may aid in the prevention or treatment
of obesity, cardiovascular disease, and type 2 diabetes. For
example, insulin resistance decreased by more than twice as much
with weight loss in the low-glycemic load vs. the low-fat group.

"Composition of diet may impact how dieters respond to weight
loss," said lead researcher, Mark Pereira, Ph.D., assistant
professor in epidemiology at the University of Minnesota. "On a
typical low-fat diet, the participants tended to experience more
perceived hunger and a slower metabolic rate, which may make it
more difficult to stay on the diet, while those on the low-
glycemic load diet did not feel as hungry and had a faster
metabolic rate."

Pereira and colleagues at Harvard University designed a randomized
parallel-design study of 39 over-weight or obese young adults aged
21 to 40 years who received an energy-restricted diet, either low-
glycemic load or low-fat. Participants' body composition, REE,
blood cholesterol, blood pressure and blood glucose and insulin
levels were measured and studied before and after 10 percent
weight loss.

The research found that physiological adaptations that serve to
defend baseline body weight can be modified by dietary
composition. REE declined by 80 kcal/d less and hunger was less on
the low-glycemic load diet vs. the low-fat diet during weight
loss, similar to results from a prior short-term study in the
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. In addition, the low-
glycemic load diet had beneficial effects on several obesity-
related risk factors compared with a low-fat diet that was
consistent with current nutritional guidelines.

###Editor's Note: This work was supported by research grants from
the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney
Diseases, the National Institutes of Health, General Mills
Corporation, and Charles H. Hood Foundation.

The Academic Health Center is home to the University of
Minnesota's six health professional schools and colleges as well
as several health-related centers and institutes. Founded in 1851,
the University is one of the oldest and largest land grant
institutions in the country. The AHC prepares the new health
professionals who improve the health of communities, discover and
deliver new treatments and cures, and strengthen the health
economy.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
This story has been adapted from a news release issued by
University Of Minnesota.

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