Cut On Carbs For A Healthy Heart

By Priya Devi

Tuesday, April 13, 2010, 14:37

Girls should cut down on high-carbohydrate food not only to get the perfect figure but also because a recent study has found that it increases the risk of heart diseases.

The study claims that high-carbohydrate diet increases coronary disease in women -- but not men. Carbohydrate diet includes the consumption of white bread, sweets and some sugary breakfast cereals.

High-carbohydrate diets increase the levels of blood glucose and of harmful blood fats known as triglycerides. This reduces levels of protective HDL also called "good" cholesterol, thereby increasing heart disease risk. However, not all carbohydrates have the same effect on blood glucose levels.

The glycemic index is a measure of how much a food raises blood glucose levels in comparison to other food stuff. A related measure, the glycemic load, is calculated based on the glycemic index of a given food and the amount of carbohydrates it contains.

Sabina Sieri, a researcher studied 47,749 adults, 15,171 men and 32,578 women-who completed dietary questionnaires.

It was revealed that one-fourth of women who consumed the most carbohydrates overall had approximately twice the risk of heart disease in comparison to the one-fourth who consumed the least.

"Thus, a high consumption of carbohydrates from high-glycemic index foods, rather than the overall quantity of carbohydrates consumed, appears to influence the risk of developing coronary heart disease," she said.