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Bad carbohydrates not so bad

Posted on Oct 14th 2007 8:30AM by Jacki Donaldson

Filed Under: Diet & Weight Loss, Nutrition & Supplements

I love this new news: So-called bad carbohydrates, breads and pastas, are not so bad. I understand this is merely the opinion of one man who did a study -- another study may demonstrate just the opposite -- but in the face of confusing nutrition information, I like to side with the point of view that most suits my desires. And I desire to not worry about carbs. So this is the perspective I'm backing.

University of Virginia professor Glenn Gaesser says eating bad carbs will not make you fat. "It's just nonsense," he says.

Eating sandwiches with white bread isn't going to kill you, says Gaessar. It won't lead to obesity either. It might even help you lose weight.

In the October Journal of the American Dietetic Association, Gaesser's analysis of carbohydrate consumption, glycemic index, and body weight becomes the first detailed review on the effects of "good" and "bad" carbohydrates. His conclusion: It's the calories, not the carbs. Check out his book on this topic here.

Diets high in carbohydrates are almost universally associated with slimmer bodies, says Gaesser who concludes that high-glycemic diets are linked to better weight control. This flies in the face of past research indicating bad carbs lead to increased insulin secretion, weight gain, and health problems and good carbs, with their lower glycemic index, lead to health.

The key to weight maintenance and overall health is a high-carb, low-fat diet, Gaesser says. "There is no reason to be eating fewer carbs -- they're not the enemy," he says.

Which side are you taking?

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4 Comment

Tags: bad, body, calories, carbohyrdates, carbs, control, gaesser, gain, glenn, glycemic, good, index, loss, maintenance, obesity, slimmer, weight

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Mike 10-14-2007 @ 3:08PM

Sounds like this doctor is making ridiculous claims to sell a book. In the 80's and 90's people when low fat diets were the fad people were wondering why they weren't losing weight. It's because simple carbs spike insulin levels dramatically. Too much insulin means that sugar is stored as fat. A balanced diet consisting of omega 6s and 3s fat as well as complex carbs and protein are the way to go. But eating a few simple carbs here and there won't kill you.

Meg Wolff 10-14-2007 @ 6:25PM

I read the doctor's article and I think that high COMPLEX carbs are fine, but there IS a big difference between simple and complex carbohydrates. Complex carbs like brown rice, millet, barley are more nutritious than white bread, bagels, pretzels (simple carbs). To tell people to go ahead and eat the "carbs" without differentiating between the two is not going to help anyone. I hope his book makes a better explaination that this article.

Cindy 10-15-2007 @ 8:33AM

Dr. Gaesser is right on target. Bad carbs do NOT spike insulin in nondiabetic individuals and they are not converted to body fat. This is pure hype by diet book guru's. Good carbs have more fiber and nutrients and they are absorbed more slowly than bad carbs but bad carbs are not the villain that most people think they are. They are used for energy or stored as glycogen, period. Good job, Dr. Gaesser! Finally, a sensible book on nutrition.

Meg Wolff 10-15-2007 @ 2:29PM

I tend to agree with Dr. Neal Barnard, President of Physician's Committee for Responsible Medicine and author of Reversing Diabetes. Read more, and decide for yourself: http://www.pcrm.org/health/diabetes/