GI," "medium GI" or "high GI" based
on Brand-Miller's definitions.
To date, there is no harmonized legis-
lation in Europe relating to nutrition and
health claims on food products. However,
the European Commission (EC) proposal
for a Regulation on Nutrition and Health
Claims, COM (22) 424 Final, has been
adopted by the EC and is currently under
consideration by the European
Parliament and Council of Ministers.
This proposal does not currently include
mention of GI as a specific nutrition
claim, although comparative claims are
permitted, provided that a 30% change is
seen from typical products in a given cat-
egory. There is a provision for including
new claims at a later date.
The National Food Administration of
Sweden has endorsed labeling foods
with the claim, "for a healthy blood glu-
cose control," based on their potential to
slow glucose uptake.
Recently, BBC News ran a feature
on GI with the headline "Diet Craze
Good for the Heart."
The U.S. perspective
Health professionals in the United
States overall have not accepted the
concept of GI reduction. Reasons cited
include lack of definitive proof; the dan-
gers of people with diabetes changing
from traditional carbohydrate exchange
routines; and questions as to how dieti-
tians might recommend the concept to
their clients.
The debate continues, and there are
some signs of growing acceptance of
GI. For example, the Food and Nutrition
Board of the Institute of Medicine of the
U.S. National Academy of Sciences
recently concluded: "There is a signifi-
cant body of data suggesting that more
slowly absorbed starchy foods which
are less processed, or have been
processed in traditional ways, may have
health advantages over those which are
rapidly digested and absorbed. These
foods have been classified as having a
low GI and reduce the glycemic load of
the diet. Not all studies of low GI or low
glycemic load diets have resulted in
beneficial effects, however, none have
shown negative effects. There are also
theoretical reasons at a time when pop-
ulations are increasingly obese, inactive
and prone to insulin resistance that
dietary interventions that reduce insulin
demand may have advantages. In this
section of the population, it is likely that
more slowly absorbed carbohydrate
foods and low glycemic load diets will
have the greatest advantage. ... However,
the principle of slowing carbohydrate
absorption, which may underpin the
positive findings made in relation to GI,
is a potentially important principle with
respect to the beneficial health effects of
carbohydrates. Further research in this
area is needed."
The American Diabetes Association
(ADA) published a statement in Sept.
2004, concluding that: "At this time,
there is insufficient information to
determine whether there is a relation-
ship between glycemic index or
Specifically designing individual products
as well as complete heat-and-eat entrées
to keep total glycemic load at suitable
levels might prove a viable route for aid-
ing diabetes management in the United
States.
