GLYCEMIC INDEX The good news is people are finally getting an idea of exactly what they are putting in their mouths. In addition to the USDA is listing how much of the various sugars are in foods there is research developed by Brand, Miller, Foster, Powell, and Wolever, in their book, "The Glucose Revolution.  Their "Glycemic Index" was developed by testing the blood sugar of volunteers given amounts of different foods that contained 50 grams of carbohydrates.   One hour later, a comparison was made between the rise in blood sugar that these foods caused  to the amount 50 grams of glucose would cause.  Pure glucose would cause 100, with all the other foods assigned a number 1 to 100 for the comparison.  For a more thorough discussion of the "GI" and the Table Brand, et al. prepared, please purchase their book and support their cause. It is eye opening! The amount of sugar  we should take in a day is questionable and no one "authority" has dared to finalize a limit.  The main reason for this hesitancy lies in the very nature of "blood sugar" itself.  Blanket statements are next to impossible since  blood sugar levels for people vary because their requirements and metabolisms are different. National Academies in their website 222.nap.edu, copyright 2002, does recommend Dietary Reference Intakes for carbohydrates, but it does not for the simple sugars presented in this chapter.  You are invited to continue your quest for knowledge about sugars, blood sugars, in general and specific.  Your health can only benefit.  But be careful out there -- I'm sure you're already aware -- some of the sweetest things can be the most deleterious to your health like, aspartame. Some New Mexicans have been diagnosed with neurodegenerative afflictions that disappeared when they stopped consuming aspartame. In fact, 80 percent of the complaints the FDA receives are on aspartame. Due to its metabolized byproduct, formaldehyde, aspartame is a toxic substance that has caused brain lesions, seizures, tumors and death in mice. A safe alternative for individuals who want to avoid aspartame is stevia, a natural, low-calorie, low-glycemic sweetener that also plays a role in supporting oral health. Mana Diet makes Hawaiian  Stevia available blended with starch just add water and you have a syrup to sweeten your meals without any rising of your blood-sugar. and without deadly site effects like.   Glycemic index Bran flakes     74  Soy, boiled     16 Macaroni     46 Jelly beans     80 Corn chex     83 Snickers bar     41 Cheerios     74 Red lentils     27 Cheese noodles 50  Pretzels     83 Spaghetti,     44 Chocolate bar    49 Kidney Beans    29 Linguini     50    Carbohydrates are composed of carbon, oxygen, and hydrogen and are sugars, starches, and fibers. Sugars received their own chapter because they do not require much if any breaking down before entering into the bloodstream.  Starches are complex carbohydrates found in vegetables, fruits, grains, and legumes.  Starches, like sugars, can be broken down into glucose and stored as glycogen.  Fibers, on the other hand, cannot be readily reduced (hydrolysis) because the body does not produce enzymes capable of doing so.  Therefore, it remains essentially undigested and passed as waste.  The two main fibers are cellulose and hemi-cellulose.  From a digestive point of view, carbohydrates follow the same path as sugar, but carbohydrates need to break down much more than sugars.   The first digestion of carbohydrates take place in the mouth where the salivary amylase ptyalin and the carb has first contact.  Some of the carbs break down into glucose and absorbs through the stomach walls into the blood.  The remainder passes through the stomach to the small intestine where the pancreas secretes and sends its own type of amylase enzyme called amylopsin into the small intestine to continue the breakdown.  The intestine itself secretes its own digestive enzymes called for maltase (that breaks down the sugar maltose) and sucrase (that breaks down the sugar sucrose).  All the while, the glucose that is being formed during all this enzyme action is being absorbed through the small intestine wall into the blood.