Researchers in Toronto, Canada noted that although legumes themselves are low-glycemic-index foods, they are often eaten with high carbohydrate foods such as rice, pasta or bread. Would eating a legume-rich meal have an effect on how much a person ate at that meal – and how would their blood glucose be affected afterwards? Would eating such a meal have an effect on how much a person ate later in the day?

To find out, they recruited 26 healthy, normal-weight men between the ages of 20 and 30 to participate in a feeding study. Each man came into the lab once per week for five weeks and were fed a standard breakfast, then one of five lunches, then unlimited amounts of pizza for dinner. Legumes Really Satisfy

Today I have another reason for you to treat these diets with some skepticism. An article published in the British Journal of Nutritiondescribes a small study performed in Finland that essentially compares the theory of the Glycemic Index with reality (2011;106:248-253). When the Glycemic Index Doesn’t Measure Up

An interesting pilot study out of the University of Minnesota looked at the intersection between breakfast, whole grains (in terms of the Glycemic Index) and blood sugar control (an important element in preventing or managing diabetes). More on Breakfast and Blood Sugars

199 men and women enrolled in the study. All had type 2 diabetes and were taking oral medications to control their diabetes. Low Glycemic Index vs. High Fiber Diet: Which is Better for Diabetics?

Unlike an overview, which details the results of many studies on an individual, study-by-study basis, a meta-analysis combines the results and data of several studies to yield results as if they were all one study. (Those of you with a science background will recognize that this explanation is rather simplified.) The strength of a meta-analysis lies in the fact of its aggregate size: the larger and longer a study is, the more reliable are its results. The drawback, of course, is that this is a grouping of studies, all performed by different people with different standards and methods. More on Sugary Beverages and Your Health

White rice is essentially brown rice that has been processed to remove the outer bran and germ parts of the rice. This is why brown rice is considered a “whole grain” and white rice is not. There’s a lot of research showing that eating more whole grains can help you reduce your risk of diabetes, high blood pressure and overweight. One of the reasons for this appears to be that eating refined grains leads to a higher spike in blood sugars than eating whole grains. This higher response is measured using a system known as the glycemic index (GI), and a higher-GI diet has been shown in many studies to be linked with a higher risk of type 2 diabetes.

We don’t eat all that much brown rice here in the United States, although if you’ve been following Dr. Gourmet for a while, you know that I recommend switching from white rice to brown rice as well as from plain pasta to whole wheat pasta. Researchers at Harvard Medical School noted that our rice consumption is rising, however, and decided to look specifically at brown vs. white rice with regard to the risk of type 2 diabetes. More Brown, Less White

A: Hypoglycemia can be a challenge for folks. I have had a number of patient in my practice who have a drop in blood sugars and this is usually in response to meals or snacks. This phenomenon is referred to as reactive hypoglycemia because the blood sugar drops in “reaction” to eating. It is most common in young adult females but I have had a number of males in my practice with reactive hypoglycemia. There is some debate about whether the drop in blood sugar comes from a sensitivity to the body’s release of epinephrine (adrenalin) or an overproduction of insulin. Some believe that this is a lack of the anti-insulin hormone glucogon. Hypoglycemia

Q: Can you shed any light on the benefits or misconceptions of agave nectar especially as it relates to Type II diabetics and the glycemic index? Is it just a bunch of hype or can agave nectar (when used properly) be a useful and safe dietary sweetener?

A: I haven’t used agave nectar in years. It was somewhat popular in the early eighties when I was involved in managing a chain of healthy fast food restaurants. I didn’t use it much in cooking but we served it as an alternative sweetener. In the last few years it has been marketed heavily as an alternative to sugar.

The reason for this is that it is very sweet but has a low Glycemic Index (GI). You can think of GI is a measure of how a particular food is processed by the body. In essence, it measures the rise in blood glucose of a 10 to 50 gram carbohydrate equivalent of a food as compared to the same number of carbohydrate gram equivalents of glucose. Agave Nectar

Q: I was watching CSI tonight and learned that peach pits contained cyanide. I started checking into it on the internet and found out it is true. I assume it would take a lot of pits to be deadly. My question is in regard to an old family recipe for peach pit jelly. I make this jelly every summer from the skins and pits of the peaches that I can. I cover them in water and cook them down for about 20 to 30 minutes, strain the juice and make jelly. We have always eaten this jelly and seem to be okay, but are we in any danger from this?

A: Peach pits do contain “cyanide” but it’s in a form called amygdalin. You can find out about this here: Peach Pits and Cyanide

I have searched for information regarding making the jelly from the peach pits and skins and can’t find any information that it is dangerous. The fact that you and others have been making it for years and have not had any adverse effects is comforting. I can’t find any report of people having problems with peach pit jelly.

Q: I am 5 foot 5 and 58 years old. After topping the scales at 178 pounds, I finally got serious about getting into shape and losing weight, about two months ago. I work out vigorously five to six days a week for an average of one and a half hours to burn off 500 calories per session, cut an average of 400 calories a day from my diet, and am living a more active life in general. After two months, I expected to have at least lost the ten pounds I’d gained over the past year, but although I have firmed up and built muscle, I’m disheartened that I’ve lost only five pounds. It seems that for all my work I should have had better results.

A: This is fantastic and you should not do anything different that you have done. We know that long term, sustained, healthy weight loss should be a slow, steady process and the 5 pounds you have lost in two months is perfect. There’s great research to show that optimal weight loss should be in the two to four pound per month range so at 5 pounds you are right on target. Working Hard, but Not Losing

Q: I would like to know how much cooked fresh garlic per day I can use. For example, if I chop half an average size clove to season two pork chops, then pan fry them and add the marinating sauce with the garlic and simmer the chop in it for about 5 minutes. Would that cause me to bleed if I am on 5 mg of Coumadin daily?

A: There’s no evidence that garlic will have any effect whatsoever on blood clotting or the effectiveness of Coumadin (warfarin). Eat all you like (or your significant other can tolerate on your breath).