Undo It!: How Simple Lifestyle Changes Can Reverse Most Chronic Diseases

by Dean Ornish

In another study, eating just one slice of white bread resulted in higher blood sugar levels and an increase in another inflammatory marker (Nf-kBf). Processing whole-wheat flour into white flour or brown rice into white rice removes the fiber and bran. This turns healthy carbohydrates into unhealthy ones that promote inflammation. Fiber and bran fill you up before you get too many calories. Also, they slow the rate of absorption from your gut into your blood, so your blood sugar rises slowly and not too high. When fiber and bran are removed, your food gets rapidly absorbed, causing your blood sugar to spike to high levels, which in turn causes your pancreas to secrete insulin to bring your blood sugar back down. After a while, it’s as if these repeated surges of insulin cause your insulin receptors to say, “Oh, no, not more insulin!” so they downregulate and become less sensitive. Because of this, your body needs to make more and more insulin to lower your blood sugar an equivalent amount. This is called insulin resistance. Insulin resistance also causes inflammation by increasing secretion of what are called cytokines from immune function cells. A vicious cycle results in which more insulin causes more inflammation, which causes more insulin resistance, often leading to metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes.