University of Virginia professor Glenn Gaesser has found that high-carb diets are almost always associated with slimmer bodies.
I know that’s not a politically popular line of thought right now.
But I have to say I agree that weight loss is about calories. Period.
Gaesser did the research, however, and wrote it up in an article for the Journal of the American Dietetic Association.
He’s a professor of exercise physiology and director of the kinesiology program in the Curry School of Education.
In his article, Gaesser gives the first detailed analysis of the research on the link between eating carbs, the glycemic index, and body weight.
He examined hundreds of peer-reviewed articles about large-scale scientific studies that used randomized, controlled trials or surveys.
Here’s What He Found
Eating a high-glycemic diet was actually associated with better weight control than a low-carb diet. People on high-carb diets were often healthier, too.
He especially disagrees with the claim that eating “bad” carbs will make you fat.
According to Gaesser, eating white bread or even a doughnut every once in a while isn’t going to make you obese.
Good vs. Bad
The distinction between “good” carbs and “bad” carbs comes from how much they raise blood sugar based on the glycemic index (GI).
High-GI foods are supposed to be “bad” because they raise blood sugar more than so-called “good” carbs do.
These high-GI foods are believed to cause excessive insulin secretion that leads to weight gain and other health problems.
It’s Not That Simple
Gaesser believes the glycemic index doesn’t express carbohydrate quality accurately.
That’s because digestion is too complex a process to figure out what the true glycemic load of a meal is.
From a nutritional standpoint, Gaesser believes a high-carb diet is actually better than a low-carb one.
There was no clear evidence that avoiding high-GI carbs will prevent diabetes, cancer, or heart disease, either.
He did point out one exception, though.
People with diabetes and sedentary, obese women may benefit from eating fewer high-GI foods.
His Bottom Line
Reduce calories to reduce weight.
I couldn’t agree more.
But I’ve always believed it’s not so much about high-carb or low-carb, but about a balanced diet that you can live with.
