The Rap on Refined Carbs, Red Meat & Dairy

Note: The sources for the following comments are derived exclusively from the content at the Harvard School of Public Health/Food Pyramids and a similar article from the Scientific American published at mindfully.org, unless otherwise noted.

So What The Heck is Wrong with White Bread, white rice, white potato, white pasta?! I spent a lot of time comparing the nutrition labels on white rice and brown rice trying to figure out why an extra gram or two of fiber and protein was supposed to make such a big difference. Of course, that wasn't it at all, though it's part of it.

The main problem with refined carbohydrates and white potatoes is the interplay of glucose and insulin (a hormone necessary to process glucose). A boiled white potato, for example, raises blood sugar (glucose) levels higher than eating the same calories in plain table sugar. The spike in glucose in turn causes a spike in insulin and a resulting crash in the glucose levels. These spikes adversely effect cardiovascular health - and the rapid decline in glucose can lead to feelings of hunger even after a large meal, resulting in increased overeating.

Furthermore, overweight, inactive people can and do become resistant to insulin. Studies have found that people resistant to insulin need more and more of the hormone to process the glucose, thus aggravating the spike and crash cycle in glucose levels, which in turn leads to even greater hunger and more overeating. Ultimatley, excess glucose builds up in the bloodstream, setting the stage for diabetes. (see Insulin Resistance and Pre-Diabetes, National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse)

Fortunately, exercise keeps the insulin working the way it should (which probably explains why virtually the entire population of Ireland was able to sustain itself on potatoes for many decades) and the consumption of fiber rich foods (you know, whole wheat bread, rice and pasta) can lower the risk of diabetes and coronary heart disease.

Red Meat (beef, pork, and lamb). The main rap on red meat is that it is high in saturated fat which has been conclusively linked to an increased risk of coronary heart disease, diabetes, and colon cancer (the latter may be related to the carcinogens produced during cooking). To which I might add the fact that most of our beef supply is routinely fed large quanities of antibiotics as the cattle are fattened in what might politely be called unhygenic feedlots. If this is news to you, google a few stories on feedlots and antibiotics...

Dairy Products. Once again, the main culprit is saturated fat - three glasses of whole milk have the same saturated fat as 13 strips of bacon! While non-fat milk is a viable option for cooking, coffee, and cereal, non-fat cheese is a loser. But it takes 10 pounds of milk to make a pound of cheese, so you can just imagine the saturated fat. [Here's an entrie site devoted to "NotMilk", and an editorial relating excessive dairy consumption to obesity.] Finally, high calcium intake has been related to increased risk of prostate cancer. HSPH recommends just one glass of milk a day for most people, and perhaps an additional supplement for women after menopause.

And there you have it, the low down on white bread, red meat, and milk according to the Harvard School of Public Health [with a little added editorial from Bob].