Metabolic & Cardiometabolic
Do different carb foods spike blood sugar differently?
The claim, precisely: carbohydrate foods differs in postprandial glucose
Yes — equal-carb foods raise blood sugar very differently, beans gently and refined starches sharply.
Evidence ladder
How far up the ladder this claim has climbed. A high consensus on a low rung means "consistent so far," not "proven in people."
Top evidence so far: Population patterns (Observational)
How the studies fall
What the evidence shows
Foods with equal carbohydrate produce systematically different postprandial glucose responses (glycemic index) — the founding measurement underpinning all carbohydrate-quality work and the bakery's whole premise. Legumes lowest, refined starches highest.
The evidence (4)
| Source | Grade | Stance | Quality | Finding |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jenkins 1988 1988 · Am J Clin Nutr | observational | supports | moderate | [FT-verified] Jenkins1988 BMJ crossover bread glycaemic response varies with whole:milled grain ratio |
| Jenkins DJ, et al. 1981 · Am J Clin Nutr | observational | supports | high | 62 foods: legumes ~31% vs glucose ref; response governed by carb quality not amount |
| Jenkins DJ, et al. 1981 · Am J Clin Nutr | observational | supports | moderate | [FT-verified] jenkins-1981 62 foods AUC legumes 31% to vegetables 70%; founding GI dataset (DUP of jenkins-1981) |
| Song 2023 · Nutrients | observational | supports | moderate | [FT-verified] Song CGM n=34 high/low responder clustering across meal types |
Educational only, not medical advice. Grades and scores reflect published evidence weighted by study design and quality; see the methodology.