Of the estimated 1 million Australians with diabetes, more than half don’t realise they have it*
* Diabetes Australia: http://www.diabetesaustralia.com.au/_lib/doc_pdf/news/Media%20Release%20-AIHW%202008.pdf
Diabetes is a serious health condition and there is no cure. If left untreated it can cause heart disease, blindness, and other serious health problems. If diagnosed early, diabetes can be successfully managed and the risk of serious health problems greatly reduced. Making lifestyle changes, including following a healthy diet and staying physically active goes a long way to ensuring diabetes is well controlled. For a specific health problem, please consult your health practitioner for guidance.
The Glycemic Index (GI) and USANA's Low GI Value:
The Glycemic Index (GI) Explained
Glycemic Index (GI) is a method of ranking foods containing carbohydrates. GI measure the rate at which carbohydrates are broken down and appear in the blood as simple sugars. Low GI foods are absorbed by the body at a slower rate than high GI foods and provide greater satiety and sustained energy. Research shows that choosing low GI foods in conjunction with a healthy eating plan may be beneficial if you have diabetes or are at risk of developing diabetes.
Look for the Glycemic Index Tested Symbol
For extra assurance that a food is low GI and healthy, look for official Glycemic Index Tested symbol, developed by the University of Sydney, Diabetes Australia and the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.
Foods that are allowed to use the GI symbol must have had their GI's measured at an approved GI testing facility. They must also contain at least 10 grams of carbohydrate per serve, and be consistent with the Dietary Guidelines for Australians (must be low in saturated fat, moderate in sodium, and where appropriate a source of dietary fibre).
For more information on the GI symbol visit: www.glycemicindex.com
Low GI Symbol - USANA Guaranteed - Clinically Tested
* Low GI: 55 or less * Medium GI: 56 to 69 * High GI: 70 or more
The GI value of USANA Macro-Optimizer foods:
Nutrimeal (Chocolate, Strawberry, Vanilla) - Low GI Value 23
Peach Mango Fibergy - Low GI Value 25
Iced Lemon Fibergy Bar - Low GI Value 45
Oatmeal Raisin Nutrition Bar - Low GI Value 34
Peanut Butter Crunch Nutrition Bar - Low GI Value 26
Supporting Health Articles:
Low GI Diet Benefits People with Type 1 Diabetes
Research shows that a low GI diet can reduce fluctuations in blood glucose levels in those with type 1 diabetes.
Researchers from the National Institutes of Health in Maryland, USA conducted a study on 20 young people with type 1 diabetes who were on multiple daily injections. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of high glycemic index (HGI) and low glycemic index (LGI) meals on blood glucose levels using continuous blood glucose monitoring method. The participants wore a continuous blood glucose meter during the study, to measure changes in blood glucose levels.
For two days, the participants consumed meals which were the same in nutritional composition but varied in their GI, (being either high (HGI) or low (LGI). Participants demonstrated significantly lower daytime blood glucose level, and had less time with high blood glucose levels, greater than 10mmol/L. There was no difference in overnight blood glucose levels between the high and low GI days.
The author concludes that consumption of a Low GI diet may reduce the rise in glucose level after a meal and improve glycemic control.
Article Source: Nansel et al. Diabetes Care 31:695-697, 2008
Meta-analysis of Glycemic Index and Glycemic Load Effects on Chronic Disease
A recent meta-analysis showed that diets high in Glycemic index (GI) and/or Glycemic load (GL) increases the risk of certain chronic diseases, including diabetes.
The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition recently published a meta-analysis to evaluate the association between GI, GL, and chronic disease risk.
A total of 37 prospective cohort studies of GI and GL and chronic disease risk were included. In 4 to 20 years of follow-up across studies, a total of 40,129 incident cases of degenerative diseases were identified. For the comparison between the highest and lowest quantities of GI and GL, significant positive associations were found for type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, gallbladder disease, breast cancer, and all diseases combined.
Low-GI and/or low-GL diets are independently associated with a reduced risk of certain chronic diseases. Relating to cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes, the protection is similar with that seen in diets high in whole grains and fibre. The findings support the hypothesis that higher GI and GL diets, and their resulting increases in postprandial (after meal) blood glucose levels, increase the risk of several chronic, degenerative diseases.
New Study Involving a 12-week Life Style Modification Program Offers Promising Results
An independent clinical study recently completed at the University of Colorado Denver (UCD) has confirmed that lifestyle change, involving diet, supplementation and exercise, can improve the metabolic syndrome.
Metabolic syndrome is a pre-diabetic state that involves multiple symptoms including central obesity, insulin resistance, elevated blood lipids, elevated blood glucose, and high blood pressure. The results of the UCD study verified those from an earlier study conducted by USANA in 2005. Both clinical trials employed a lifestyle program that included a low-glycemic diet including USANA's meal replacement shakes and bars, exercise, and USANA's nutritional supplements.*
USANA's original study, conducted with 25 subjects, found that the lifestyle modification program had dramatic effects on the health of participants. The University of Colorado study used a larger group (n=60) and found similar results. Those results will be fully published later this year; however initial results from the study are promising.
Subjects in the UCD study lost an average of 12 pounds (5.4 kg) over the 12-week program. Even more dramatic, however, were the significant improvements in measures of glycemic control, cardiovascular health, inflammation, and antioxidant status.
On average, study participants who completed the study (n=53) achieved the following transformations of measures of glycemic control:
• Fasting insulin was reduced by 32 percent
• Insulin levels during an oral glucose tolerance test at 120 min decreased by 44 percent
• Insulin resistance as measured by the HOMA index decreased by 32 percent
There also were notable changes in the subjects' measures of cardiovascular health:
• Systolic blood pressure declined 6 percent
• Diastolic blood pressure dropped 8 percent
• Total cholesterol dropped 5 percent
• Fasting triglyceride levels dropped 16 percent
Markers of inflammation and antioxidant status were also considerably improved:
• Plasma Antioxidant Reserve (PAR) increased 20 percent
• Urinary Isoprostanes, a marker of lipid peroxidation due to oxidative stress, decreased 29 percent
• C-Reactive Protein (CRP), a marker of inflammation, dropped 27 percent
• Vitamin E alpha levels increased by 30 percent
All of these changes are consistent with improvements to markers of Metabolic Syndrome and with significant improvements in cardiovascular and metabolic health.
Holly Wyatt, a physician and faculty member of the University of Colorado's Department of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Diabetes, oversaw the university study. "This is a very promising program that produced some very positive changes in the cardiovascular risk factors associated with the metabolic syndrome," Dr. Wyatt said. "The shifts in dietary habits to calorically restricted low-glycemic meals and the modest increases in physical activity were not only effective but also are realistic behavioural changes many people can make."
Article Source: March 10, 2008 USANA Health Sciences, Inc Press Release
* Nutritional supplement used in the UCD study is USANA US formula. Meal replacement shakes and nutrition sanck bars are provided by USANA Health Science.
Comparison of Diets of Varying Glycemic Load on Weight Loss and Cardiovascular Risk Reduction
Although many dietary methods can lead to weight loss, a recent study found that high carbohydrate diets with a low Glycemic Index may be the ideal for weight loss and reduction of cardiovascular risk factors.
A recent study compared the relative effects of several diet methods on weight loss and cardiovascular risk. A total of 129 overweight or obese young adults were assigned to one of 4 reduced-fat, high-fibre diets for 12 weeks.
Diets 1 and 2 were high carbohydrate (55% of total calories), with diet 1 carbohydrates being high-glycemic and diet 2 being low-glycemic. Diets 3 and 4 were high protein (25% of total calories), with high and low glycemic index carbohydrates respectively.
The glycemic load was the highest in diet 1 and the lowest in diet 4. Changes in body composition and blood chemistries were then studied.
The average weight loss from each group was similar, but those on diets 2 and 3 lost approximately 80% more fat mass than those on diet 1. LDL cholesterol levels declined significantly in diet group 2, but increased in diet group 3. Therefore, both high-protein and low-GI diets increase body fat loss, but cardiovascular risk reduction is enhanced by a high-carbohydrate, low-GI diet (diet 2).
Article Source: Arch Intern Med 2006 Jul 24;166(14):1466-75