The Cost of Ignorance

First discovered by Canadians in 1979, the glycemic index (GI) is a valid scientific protocol supported by peer-reviewed research.

GI information allows us to choose the best foods for good blood sugar control and the low insulin levels required for optimum health. The GI also serves as an indictment of the adverse effects of a diet high in refined carbohydrates.

What You Don’t Know Can Hurt You

Canadians face skyrocketing diagnoses of obesity, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and other serious health conditions that are a direct outcome of poor diet. Yet, despite the myriad of health benefits associated with a low GI diet, few health care professionals in Canada seem to be knowledgeable on the subject. Worse, at the present time, the Canadian government will not permit the food industry to provide consumers with glycemic index information on nutrition labelling. Because of this regulation:

1. Canadians are denied the information they require to choose the best foods for good blood sugar management.
2. The food industry is prevented from warning consumers of the adverse health effects of foods with a high glycemic index.
3. The lack of official government recognition suggests that the GI lacks scientific credibility. This, in turn, impedes acceptance by health care professionals and Canadian consumers–to the detriment of their health.
4. There is no incentive for the food industry to develop and market foods in Canada with a low glycemic index.

For Canadians, the social and economic costs of not promoting the GI must surely be staggering.

We Got Your Number

Visit the official website of the glycemic index and GI database: glycemicindex.com.

For more information on this topic, please refer to "Unscramble the Number" from our September 2006 issue of alive.