

Monday, April 12, 2010

New Study - I'm Puzzled By This One!

Article in CNN This study shows that women who eat white bread, pasta, sugar, white rice, etc. have twice the risk of developing heart disease. I can understand that knowing that these women will almost always eventually develop insulin resistance which leads to metabolic syndrome, obesity, diabetes and heart disease and a higher risk of some cancers.

However, to say that men are somehow a different "animal" and that they metabolize the very same carbs differently and, therefore, do not have twice the risk of developing heart disease like women do, is puzzling to me. I've seen men eat those particular carbs for years at a stretch and they wind up, just like women, getting heavier and developing a big stomach (result of too much insulin being poured out in response to eating carbohydrates and a side effect of insulin resistance). How are they different exactly? I'm just a lay person observing things in everyday life. If these men eating white flour products (white death as my friend calls them) are developing insulin resistance too, then how exactly are they protected from heart disease? I don't get it. Maybe one of my readers can enlighten me.

Anyway, the study conclusions were confusing to me, but nevertheless it tells us women that cutting out the white stuff is just a good idea all round for our hearts.


Anonymous said...

WHITE foods (bread, pasta, sugar, rice, etc) were singled out here with the claim that they can lead to diabetes and other diseases. However whole grains also lead to the same things.
For years I believed what was and still is being promoted to consumers, so I tried to eat "healthy" most of the time. In spite of that I developed diabetes.
Most of my bread and pasta was whole grain, except for occasional croissants or French bread and food from restaurants that didn't have a whole grain option. At least 99% of my rice was whole grain (I rarely ate restaurant rice). Also, I didn't eat a lot of sugar or sweets (other than fruit) most of the time. As far as weight goes, it likely did contribute some, but my doctor says I'm not excessively over weight.
After a year and a half, with no meds, my last A1C was normal. My doctor says to avoid all fruit, all sweeteners (even artificial ones) and all grains. Even legumes are limited because they are high carb. If I have to have bread, it is to be a very limited quantity of soaked, sprouted or fermented versions.
Though it's difficult to find, research is showing that even the taste of sweet raises insulin (a bad thing).
The food pyramid (which is greatly influenced by manufacturers) should be turned upside down. Cattle are fattened by feeding them grain. They are wondering why the population is getting fatter. Natural fats (the so called bad saturated ones - lard, tallow, bacon, butter, coconut) are good for you. Trans fats and the polyunsaturated ones are actually bad for you (canola is made from a toxic plant, corn is high carb, soy beans absorb toxins from the soil and elevate estrogen levels, etc).
I have done a lot of studying since I got diabetes.

Jennifer said...

Awesome comment with lots of info and food for thought. Thank you!

I'm sorry you have diabetes. It does sound like you know how to control it to the point that it's almost as if you don't have it. Congrats!