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Dr. David Jenkins discusses the glycemic index of foods

Advanced Study Weekend Interview


Dr. David Jenkins discusses the glycemic index of foods.


David JA Jenkins, MD, DSc, PhD was a recent guest speaker at the McDougall Advanced Study Weekend in Santa Rosa, CA.

Dr. Jenkins is currently a professor in the Departments of Nutritional Sciences and Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto. He has served on committees in Canada and the United States that have formulated nutritional guidelines for the treatment of diabetes and his team was the first to define and explore the concept of the glycemic index of foods. His studies on combining cholesterol lowering food components (dietary portfolio) have been recognized as creating an effective dietary alternative to drug therapy (statins) for many people. He believes that diets have to be palatable, readily available, and environmentally sustainable.

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  1. Cathy Kennedy RDN says:
    Can you share with me the date that Dr. David Jenkins spoke at the advanced study weekend?
    Reply
    1. Admin
      Heather McDougall says:
      Hi Cathy, He spoke at the McDougall Advanced Study Weekend, Sept. 29 to Oct. 1, 2006. Here is an article about the glycemic index that you may find helpful: https://www.drmcdougall.com/education/information/glycemic-index-not-ready-for-prime-time/.
  2. Dane Rogers says:
    Hi Heather, I have long suspected that the "standard" that Jenkins used to with white bread or sugar to establish is standard of 100, was created by feeding the 50g carbohydrate to people already on their way to insulin resistance - meaning a cross section of an already unhealthy population and 30+ % of calories from fat. Do you have any more detailed information as to who Jenkins used when establishing his standard?
    Reply
    1. Admin
      Heather McDougall says:
      That's a great question. My understanding is that Dr. Jenkins developed the glycemic index using healthy volunteers who consumed foods containing 50 grams of available carbohydrate, and the blood glucose response was compared to a reference food, originally glucose or white bread. I am not aware of any evidence that the standard was intentionally based on people with insulin resistance or those consuming a high-fat diet, although dietary patterns and metabolic health certainly can influence glycemic responses. One of the limitations of the glycemic index is that it measures foods in isolation and doesn't necessarily reflect how people eat in the real world. That's one reason we tend to focus more on the overall dietary pattern, calorie density, and the health outcomes seen in populations eating starch-based diets rather than on glycemic index values alone. This article gets into the details a bit more: https://www.drmcdougall.com/education/information/glycemic-index-not-ready-for-prime-time/.

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