04/02/2022
The foods we eat have different and significant effects on blood sugar and the subsequent release of insulin. Carbohydrates raise blood sugar most quickly, but how quickly depends on what kind of carbohydrate it is. Unrefined carbohydrates, found in natural foods like legumes, starchy vegetables, and whole grains, are higher in fiber, which slows the release of sugar into the bloodstream. As a result, insulin rises more gradually. Refined carbohydrates, found in processed foods like white bread, pasta, crackers, and boxed baked goods, typically contain little or no fiber and so are digested more quickly. Their simple sugars hit the bloodstream almost immediately, causing blood sugar to skyrocket, then plunge almost as quickly. These jagged spikes and dips in blood sugar can cause cravings (usually for more refined carbohydrates), more overeating, and weight gain. It is a vicious cycle, because the more refined carbohydrates you eat, the lower your blood sugar ultimately plunges, the hungrier you get and the more you eat.
~David M. Nathan, M.D.