Conscious Choice: Body Talk

September 2007 | Healthy Living

Body Talk

By Liz Barker

The Carb-Vision Connection

Not all carbs are created equal: Eating lots of high-glycemic-index foods — such as white rice and refined cereals — may raise your risk for the leading cause of blindness among aging Americans. Tufts University researchers recently looked at data on 4,099 men and women (ages 55 to 80 at the start of the study) and discovered that those whose diets had a higher-glycemic-index than average were more likely to develop advanced age-related macular degeneration. High-glycemic-index carbs can cause a faster rise and subsequent drop in blood sugar, and heavy consumption of such foods has been linked to increased risk for diabetes.

A disease that results from the breakdown of cells in the central region of the retina, AMD has no cure and may affect three million Americans by 2020. Lead study author Allen Taylor, PhD, speculates that a high-glycemic-index diet may provide eye tissue with too much glucose too quickly, and overwhelm the ability of the eye cells to use the carbohydrate properly. To keep your vision sharp, stick with low-glycemic foods like legumes, bran cereals, and high-fiber fruits and veggies.

Pesticide Peril For Moms-to-Be

Pesticides may pose a serious health risk for pregnant women, according to a recent report from the journal Diabetes Care. A research team from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences surveyed more than 11,200 women, finding that those who mixed and applied pesticides during pregnancy were more than twice as likely to experience gestational diabetes (as compared to women who reported no pesticide use in pregnancy).

Gestational diabetes affects about four percent of all pregnancies in the U.S., estimates the American Diabetes Association. Although the condition disappears after delivery, it can increase the mother’s risk of developing type-2 diabetes in the future. The study’s authors suggest that pesticide exposure may raise gestational diabetes risk by impairing the body’s ability to convert blood sugar into energy.

Good Grains

Filled with so much whole-grain goodness, foods like brown rice, whole-wheat pasta and oatmeal may help keep your arteries healthy. In a recent American Journal of Clinical Nutrition study of 1,178 people, Wake Forest University School of Medicine researchers found that those whose diets contained the greatest amounts of whole grains had the slowest progression in artery wall thickness over a five-year period.

When substances such as cholesterol build up in the inner lining of the arteries, blood flow can become reduced or even blocked. This process — called atherosclerosis — increases risk for stroke and heart disease. To help your artery walls stay thin — and lower your blood cholesterol — aim for three servings of fiber-rich, vitamin-packed whole grains each day. The American Heart Association recommends choosing foods such as quinoa, barley, bulgur, oats, and whole wheat and selecting breads and cereals that list whole grains as the first item in their ingredients list.

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