GI Values Update

The latest GI values

Chestnuts
Crushed uncooked chestnut kernels: GI 54, tested by the International Diabetes Institute, Melbourne Australia.

Beech-Nut Good Morning Products
As we get lots of questions about healthy foods for kids, we were interested when a press release arrived on our desk (well computer screen) from Beech-Nut Nutrition Corporation. This company develops baby foods that are free of preservatives, artificial colours and flavours, trans fats, soy and added refined sugar. Their Good Morning products based around oats have a low GI says the press release. We followed up to see where the products were tested and what the GI actually was so we could share this with GI News readers.

In fact the Good Morning range hasn’t been clinically tested. It was ‘calculated from GI values of its ingredients by the method of Wolever and Jenkins [AJCN 43:197-172, 1986], using total carbohydrate and total fibre data from the USDA Nutrient Database and the clinically measured GI of each ingredient (Foster-Powell et al., Univ. Sydney)’ Beech-Nut told GI News.

We agree with Beech-Nut’s nutritional scientists that the products couldn’t possibly be tested in babies! But we feel that it would be great if they followed up all the good work invested so far in developing these healthy products for babies and toddlers with some clinical testing in adults – just to make sure that the GI really is low. If it is, they really have come up with a first. Testing is important to reliably know the GI value, because in addition to ingredients, other factors such as food processing techniques can have a significant impact on the GI. Milling, cooking, baking, extrusion, granularity – these can all have an effect. For more information: www.beechnut.com

GI Symbol News
The Organic Beverage Company (TOBC) Syzmo™ has joined the GI Symbol Program. Syzmo™ organic energy drink (GI 30) meets the GI Symbol Program’s nutritional criteria for carbonated beverages – it’s a reduced kilojoule/calorie beverage with 24 grams of carbohydrate per 1 cup (240 ml) serving (be aware that the 12 fl oz can you buy contains 1½ cups, so you may like to share it with a friend). The sweetness is from blue agave – no high fructose corn syrup here! The energy-enhancing ingredients include guarana, yerba mate extract and caffeine. It also contains a host of added vitamins and minerals including B12. It’s certified organic by USDA. And it’s not recommended for children, pregnant women, or people sensitive to caffeine. You may or may not be in favour of energy drinks (or any carbonated drinks for that matter), but they are a fact of life, and if people are going to drink and enjoy them (in moderation we hope), then opting for the healthier product is a very smart decision. For more information, check out: www.syzmo.com

Where can I get more information on GI testing?

North America
Dr Alexandra Jenkins
Glycemic Index Laboratories
36 Lombard Street, Suite 100
Toronto, Ontario M5C 2X3 Canada
Phone +1 416 861 0506
Email info@gilabs.com
Web www.gilabs.com

Australia
Fiona Atkinson
Research Manager, Sydney University Glycemic Index Research Service (SUGiRS)
Human Nutrition Unit, School of Molecular and Microbial Biosciences
Sydney University
NSW 2006 Australia
Phone + 61 2 9351 6018
Fax: + 61 2 9351 6022
Email sugirs@mmb.usyd.edu.au
Web www.glycemicindex.com

New Zealand
Dr Tracy Perry
The Glycemic Research Group, Dept of Human Nutrition
University of Otago
PO Box 56 Dunedin New Zealand
Phone +64 3 479 7508
Email tracy.perry@stonebow.otago.ac.nz
Web glycemicindex.otago.ac.nz

Where can I get more information on the GI symbol program?

Alan Barclay
Acting CEO, Glycemic Index Ltd
Phone: +61 2 9785 1037
Fax: +61 2 9785 1037
Email: awbarclay@optusnet.com.au
Web www.gisymbol.com.au