The insulin index, created by Susanne Holt in 1997, measures the rise in insulin in response to a standard portion of food, and it turns out to be quite different from the glycemic index.2 Not surprisingly, refined carbohydrates cause a surge in insulin levels. What was astounding was that dietary proteins could cause a similar surge. The glycemic index does not consider protein or fats at all because they do not raise glucose, and that approach essentially ignores the fattening effects of two out of the three major macronutrients. Insulin can increase independently of blood sugar.
