Sugar, Carbs and Diabetes Risk
In medical circles, the idea that sugar increases the risk of diabetes is considered to be an old wives tale. However, recent studies bring not just sugar, but all high glycemic index (GI) and high glycemic load (GL) foods into question. Two studies from last year showed that women with the highest intakes of high carb-containing foods (high GI and high GL) had the greatest risk of becoming diabetic.
One studied looked at all high GI and GL foods and found the highest intakes of these foods were associated with the greatest risks of becoming diabetic. Sugary foods weren’t evaluated separately, but just as part of the overall diet. While cereal is primarily a high GI food, this study showed that a diet high in cereal fiber lowered the risk of diabetes.1 (This makes sense, because fiber slows the release of sugars into the blood stream.)
