There Is Now A Sixth Taste – And It Explains Why We Love Carbs

As any weight-watcher knows, carb cravings can be hard to resist. Now there’s evidence that carbohydrate-rich foods may elicit a unique taste too, suggesting that “starchy” could be a flavour in its own right.

It has long been thought that our tongues register a small number of primary tastes: salty, sweet, sour and bitter. Umami – the savoury taste often associated with monosodium glutamate – was added to this list seven years ago, but there’s been no change since then.

However, this list misses a major component of our diets, says Juyun Lim at Oregon State University in Corvallis. “Every culture has a major source of complex carbohydrate. The idea that we can’t taste what we’re eating doesn’t make sense,” she says.

Read more: There Is Now A Sixth Taste – And It Explains Why We Love Carbs

Mmm… taste that delicious starch

Jonathan Knowles/Getty

Source: NewScientist

Watch Video: Scientists have discovered a sixth taste!

How Reliable Is The Glycemic Index?

Individual response to glycemic index values vary so much that it may not be useful in indicating blood sugar response, says research published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

The glycemic index (GI) of a food indicates the speed with which blood sugar can be expected to rise after a person eats it. Each food gets a score out of 100 on the index, for example, 40 for baked beans.

Glycemic load is a measure that applies the GI to a portion of food. The glycemic load for a 150-gram serving of baked beans would be 6.

GI is used to help people with diabetes to control their blood sugar. Some food labels carry GI measurements. More recently, a number of popular diets have been based on GI. Lists are available for people to check the GI and glycemic load of different foods.

Read more: How Reliable Is The Glycemic Index?

People use the glycemic index as a guide to suitable foods, but is it a valid measure?

Source: medicalnewstoday

Fat vs Carbs: What’s Really Worse for Your Health?

The traditional balanced diet may be way out of whack. To fight obesity and diabetes, doctors and nutritionists are embracing diets that were once called fads.

“PEOPLE have told me what I do is dangerous. They have walked away from me at meetings,” says David Unwin, a doctor practising in Southport, UK. Unwin suggests to his patients with type 2 diabetes or who want to lose weight that they do the opposite of what official health advice recommends. He advises them to stop counting calories, eat high-fat foods – including saturated fats – and avoid carbohydrates, namely sugar and starch. Telling people to avoid sugar is uncontroversial; the rest is medical heresy.

Read more: Fat vs Carbs: What’s Really Worse for Your Health?

Source: NewScientist