Australian Study Finds Direct Correlation Between White Bread Consumption and Diabetes
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/11/05/health/webmd/main653957.shtml

VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA, November 5, 2004: In an effort to curb the rising incidence of type 2 diabetes, an Australian study has brought significant parallels to light. After studying the diet and health records of 36,000 men and women for four years, researchers found a direct correlation between the consumption of white bread and starchy foods with diabetes. The news release explains, "Results were based on food frequency questionnaires and diabetes diagnoses made during the study. Special attention was paid to the glycemic index (GI) of the foods eaten by participants. The glycemic index measures a food's impact on blood sugar. High-GI foods like white bread, cakes, and biscuits spike blood sugar dramatically, while lower-GI carbs including 
most vegetables and legumes have a smaller effect." Researchers, including Allison Hodge of the Cancer Council in Victoria, said, "Participants who ate the most white bread -- more than 17 slices per week -- had the highest risk of diabetes." The November issue of the journal Diabetes Care says, "Researchers claim that the simple change from white bread to lower-GI bread within a high carbohydrate diet could reduce the risk of diabetes. Changing bread type may be a more acceptable dietary change than one requiring a whole new eating 
pattern." Hodge and colleagues add, "Of course, eating too much of any food can add pounds, raising the risk of diabetes."