Category Archives: Starch

The Western Diets: No Plant Food Required

Evidence suggests that sodium chloride is not responsible for the hypertension epidemic in developed nations. Studies investigating the effects of salt have found that while a small sub-population of individuals may be affected negatively by salt, normal healthy individuals can … Continue reading

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Starch: A Complex Subject

Much is made of the improved health outcomes from consuming whole grain starch compared to refined starch. Whole grains are believed to improve health because they have their original fibre and micronutrient content and thus increase intakes of both when … Continue reading

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Salivary Amylase and the Cephalic Phase of Digestion

ecently researchers1 have found an interesting association between salivary amylase and the glycaemic response to starch. Non-obese subjects had their salivary amylase activity assessed by comparison to the mean. They then grouped the subjects as high producers (1 standard deviation … Continue reading

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More on Glycaemic Index

The glycaemic index (GI) is a measure of the rise in blood glucose (area under the curve) caused by a particular carbohydrate food, compared to the standard food, white bread (and expressed as a ratio). High GI foods are increasingly … Continue reading

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Reducing Glycaemic Load

Carbohydrates play a role in the development of obesity and diabetes. In particular, high intakes of refined carbohydrates, particularly disaccharides and monosaccharides, are associated with increased glycaemia, insulin release, and the development of blood sugar disorders than can contribute to … Continue reading

Posted in Amylase, Beans, Carbohydrate, Diabetes, Fibre, Glycaemic Index, Glycaemic load, Insulin, Starch, Sucrose, Sugar | Comments Off on Reducing Glycaemic Load