Does eating a sugary carbohydrate source cause a “spike” and “crash” in energy levels?
Scientific studies do not support the long held belief that sugary foods cause a “spike” and “crash” in energy levels. Once eaten, foods high in carbohydrate such as fruit, potatoes, rice and candy, result in a rise in circulating levels of sugar. The body handles this rise through the release of the hormone insulin, which ushers the sugar into the body’s cells returning levels to normal. In healthy individuals, this drop in circulating sugar levels does not result in any problems. The rise and fall of sugar levels is a normal process that occurs after eating all carbohydrate containing foods. Do carbohydrate foods, in particular sugary ones, differ in the rate they are processed by the body? After eating carbohydrate-containing food, glucose appears in the circulation at different rates depending upon the food. How quickly circulating levels of sugar rise is referred to as Glycemic Index (GI). A high GI food means the carbohydrate gets into the system faster than a low GI food. The GI
