Kellogg’s won’t be too happy to hear about this study: it suggests that a diet rich in carbohydrates that boost blood sugar levels, such as cornflakes or white bread, may hamper the function of blood vessels, therefore raising your risk of developing cardiovascular disease.
Researchers from Israel’s Chaim Sheba Medical Center and elsewhere evaluated 56 overweight or obese men and women, between 35 and 60. Other than their weight, they were healthy. None of them had diabetes or a history of cardiovascular disease.
They were fed foods that spanned the scale of the glycemic index, which relates to how a food affects your blood sugar levels. The higher the food is in the index, the more your blood sugar is spiked.
The high-glycemic meals, the authors concluded, appeared to impair the endothelial function, which is the layer of cells that line the inside of blood vessels. A decline in the function of the endothelial is a key variable in the development of hardening arteries and heart disease.
“Based on our study, we do urge consumers to have low-glycemic index carbohydrates instead of high-glycemic carbohydrates for better health and less potential hazards for the vascular endothelial function,” said Dr. Michael Shechter, senior cardiologist at The Sackler Faculty of Medicine at Tel Aviv University in Israel.
(via: Yahoo)