Practical Approaches to Healthy Baking The health of Americans is generally not good. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), half of the population can be considered prediabetic, and another 29 million individuals (9%) have already been diagnosed with type 1 or type 2 diabetes. Both type 1 and type 2 diabetes are affected by the amount and type of carbohydrates consumed. The impact a food has on glucose levels in the blood is measured by the glycemic index (GI). Sugars and refined carbohydrates are associated with high GI numbers because they are quickly broken down into glucose that is absorbed by the body. In this column, Busken discusses alternative ingredients that can be used to improve the health-promoting properties and reduce the potential negative health effects of baked goods. |