By: Denise Mann
The study conducted by Sabina Sieri, PhD, of the Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, a national institute for cancer research in Milan, Italy, has found that carbohydrates with a high glycemic index tend to be the carbs that effect the heart. This is not say that a diet high in carbohydrates puts you at risk, but to say that a diet high in carbohydrates that are rapidly absorbed puts you at risk.
The glycemic index ranks on a scale from 1 to 100 how quickly (or slowly) carbohydrates affect your blood-sugar levels. (White bread scores 100.) Foods that rank below 55 are considered to have a low glycemic index and produce only small fluctuations in blood glucose and insulin levels; foods that rank above 70 are said to have a high glycemic index and tend to cause unhealthy spikes in blood sugar.
The researchers surveyed roughly 48,000 Italian adults about their diets in detail, noting the amount and types of carbohydrates they consumed on a regular basis. (People with diabetes, who have abnormal levels of blood sugar and insulin, were excluded.) Not surprisingly—the study was conducted in Italy, after all—bread, pasta, and pizza were common sources of carbs.