A recent study from the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, states that cutting your carbohydrates may reduce the risk of breast cancer in post menopausal women.
Adding super foods like wheatgrass powder and chia seeds to your diet may reduce the impact of carboydrates.
Our body's need carbohydrates, they're a major source of energy, however some are better for your than others. For example, many processed foods such as pasta, rice, white bread etc, have much of their fibre and nutrients removed, and what's left is mainly easily absorbed starch and sugar.
There are two ways to measure the effects of foods containing carbohydrates have on your blood sugar levels.
The first is called the Glycaemic Index (GI). This measures how much food our raises blood sugar levels, on a scale of 1 to 100. The higher the GI number, the more that food will increase the level, and this in turn, increases the risk factor of many serious diseases, including heart disease and diabetes.
The second system used to measure this, is called the Glycaemic Load, or simply GL. This measurement includes the total amount of carbohydrate in the as well as the GI index.
The GL takes into account more factors that the GI when looking at the effects of foods on blood sugar levels, it's considered to be a more reliable.
High Glycaemic Load linked to an increase risk of breast cancer for some women.
The study was large and was conducted over 12 years. It examined the risk of breast cancer in 334,849 women aged between 34 to 66. The researchers evaluated the subjects diets in terms of GI, GL and total carbohydrate intake.
During the study period, 11,576 of the women were diagnosed with breast cancer. Those who has the highest risks were postmenopausal women with a high GL and high carbohydrate diet, when compared to the rest of the group.
There was no change in risk for women who had a high GL and high carbohydrate diet, who were not postmenopausal.
In considering the conclusions of the study, the authors said: "Our results also suggest a potential interaction between fibre intake and glycaemic load and carbohydrates on the risk of breast cancer,".
It's important to choose the right foods, because dietary fibre and healthy fats can both help in slowing down the absorption of carbohydrate into your system, and this in turn helps to lower the overall GL of your diet. By eating healthily with a leaning towards foods with high dietary fibre, it will be easier to keep your blood sugar levels steady.
So, consider swapping everything that's white for everything that's brown! For example, brown bread, brown rice and wholemeal pasta. Adding super foods to your diet: Spirulina powder, Chlorella powder and Chia seeds is also another way to help reduce the GL of your meal.
Adding super foods like wheatgrass powder and chia seeds to your diet may reduce the impact of carboydrates.
Our body's need carbohydrates, they're a major source of energy, however some are better for your than others. For example, many processed foods such as pasta, rice, white bread etc, have much of their fibre and nutrients removed, and what's left is mainly easily absorbed starch and sugar.
There are two ways to measure the effects of foods containing carbohydrates have on your blood sugar levels.
The first is called the Glycaemic Index (GI). This measures how much food our raises blood sugar levels, on a scale of 1 to 100. The higher the GI number, the more that food will increase the level, and this in turn, increases the risk factor of many serious diseases, including heart disease and diabetes.
The second system used to measure this, is called the Glycaemic Load, or simply GL. This measurement includes the total amount of carbohydrate in the as well as the GI index.
The GL takes into account more factors that the GI when looking at the effects of foods on blood sugar levels, it's considered to be a more reliable.
High Glycaemic Load linked to an increase risk of breast cancer for some women.
The study was large and was conducted over 12 years. It examined the risk of breast cancer in 334,849 women aged between 34 to 66. The researchers evaluated the subjects diets in terms of GI, GL and total carbohydrate intake.
During the study period, 11,576 of the women were diagnosed with breast cancer. Those who has the highest risks were postmenopausal women with a high GL and high carbohydrate diet, when compared to the rest of the group.
There was no change in risk for women who had a high GL and high carbohydrate diet, who were not postmenopausal.
In considering the conclusions of the study, the authors said: "Our results also suggest a potential interaction between fibre intake and glycaemic load and carbohydrates on the risk of breast cancer,".
It's important to choose the right foods, because dietary fibre and healthy fats can both help in slowing down the absorption of carbohydrate into your system, and this in turn helps to lower the overall GL of your diet. By eating healthily with a leaning towards foods with high dietary fibre, it will be easier to keep your blood sugar levels steady.
So, consider swapping everything that's white for everything that's brown! For example, brown bread, brown rice and wholemeal pasta. Adding super foods to your diet: Spirulina powder, Chlorella powder and Chia seeds is also another way to help reduce the GL of your meal.
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