Carbs Increase Heart Risk in Women
Posted on April 13, 2010 by Lolita Carrico
A new study finds that white rice, white bread and a host of other carbs — including pizza (no!!!) — can double the risk of heart disease in women. Carb-rich foods with a high glycemic index cause blood sugar to spike, and then cause extra strain on our hearts. Men don’t appear to have the same response — which might indicate that they process carbohydrates differently.
Low glycemic foods — like pasta and fruit — don’t have the same effect…so not all carbs are equal. “Rapidly absorbed carbohydrates” seem to be the culprit, according to Sabina Sieri, of the national institute for cancer research in Milan, Italy.
Dr. Christiane Northup — a long-time fan of low GI diets — also points to high glycemic index diets as a factor in a host of other problems in women, especially as they reach middle age. High GI foods change the way hormones are metabolized and can lead to obesity, diabetes and other ‘side effects’ including male pattern baldness, facial hair growth and more.
