As most women who count calories know, the same foods that may a problem for them often are not for the men in their lives.

It does not seem fair, women have been saying for years.

This unfairness now is proven.  Male bodies do not process carbohydrate-heavy foods in the same way that female’ bodies  do—a problem which, besides being irritating to females, also raises women’s heart disease risk.

Business Week

“A diet rich in carbohydrates that are quickly transformed into sugar in the blood raises the risk of heart disease for women, a new Italian study finds. (Emphasis added)

“The same effect, however, is not seen in men, according to the report, published April 12 in the Archives of Internal Medicine. (Emphasis added)

“The study, by researchers at Italy’s National Cancer Institute, looked not only at total carbohydrate intake but also at what is known as the glycemic index of those carbohydrates — a measure of how quickly and to what extent blood sugar rises after intake of specific carbohydrates.

“Carbohydrate foods with similar calorie content can show widely different scores on the glycemic index. Carbohydrates with a high glycemic index include corn flakes, white bread and white rice. Those with lower scores include whole wheat products and sweet potatoes. (Emphasis added)

“A high glycemic index is known to increase the concentration of triglycerides and lower the concentration of HDL cholesterol, the good kind,” explained Victoria J. Drake, director of the Micronutrient Information Center at the Linus Pauling Institute of Oregon State University, who has studied the subject. “Those adverse effects make it a stronger risk factor for heart disease.” (Emphasis added)

Source: Business Week/Health Day News, April 12, 2010