For people with diabetes, it's not the carb count of a food that matters most, but how much it affects blood sugar levels. So how bad are different foods compared to, say, spoonfuls of sugar?
That's something that Dr. David Unwin has focused on teaching his patients, with great results, according to this new paper.
Take a look at the picture above. A serving of potatoes has a similar effect as 8 teaspoons of sugar, and rice is even worse. Meanwhile eggs (a low-carb staple) was like 0 tea spoons.
So what happens to Dr. Unwin's patients on a low-carb diet? His research shows that their body weight, waist circumference and blood glucose all fell while they reported high satisfaction with the diet and more energy.
It's quite a mystery that the biggest diabetes associations and governments around the world keep recommending starchy and sugary foods as a suitable diet for diabetes and obesity patients.