Low- or moderate-carbohydrate foods create less of an insulin spike in the blood after eating, which can help people to burn fat and lose weight, according to advocates of diet plans such as the Atkins and Zone diets. However, a study found that low- or moderate- carbohydrate energy bars don't reduce insulin levels in the blood as much as was thought.
This means that these energy bars may not promote weight loss as they are advertised to do. Although manufacturers add protein and fat to the bars, overall the energy content is similar to a higher carbohydrate energy bar.
The study involved 20 adults who ate one of five test meals on five separate days: a low-carbohydrate energy bar (Atkins Advantage Bar); a moderate-carbohydrate energy bar (Balance Bar); a high-carbohydrate energy bar (Power Bar); white bread, which is nearly all carbohydrate; and broiled, boneless chicken breast, which contains no carbohydrate.
The moderate-carbohydrate Balance Bar supports the Zone diet, which recommends a diet of 40 percent carbohydrates, 30 percent fat and 30 percent protein. The low-carbohydrate Atkins Advantage bar supports the Atkins diet.
Researchers took blood samples to measure participants' blood glucose and insulin levels at various times during the study. The insulin response from eating white bread, which researchers were familiar with, was used to compare the insulin responses of the other meals.
The low-carbohydrate bar lowered insulin by about one-quarter compared to eating white bread. After eating the moderate-carbohydrate energy bar, insulin levels rose by more than one-third, and increased close to three-quarters after eating the high-carbohydrate energy bar. The chicken meal resulted in insulin levels that were more than three-quarters lower than those caused by eating white bread.
Researchers were surprised that the moderate-carbohydrate bar resulted in a high insulin response. They say that a combination of factors, such as carbohydrate and protein, may work together to raise insulin levels.
High insulin levels impair the body's ability to burn fat, making it harder to lose weight. Some diet companies advertise that their lower carbohydrate products will keep insulin levels low, however there is no evidence to support such claims, according to researchers.
Medical Science Monitor January 2003;9(2):CR84-90
It's quite a sad state of affairs with these food bars. While the study certainly isn't a comprehensive review of all the bars out there, it does address some problems with the major bars.
While the Zone bar was a step in the right direction as it sought to balance the macronutrient ratios and escaped from the fantasy of the low-fat nonsense of Power Bars, it is still a disaster bar.
Zone bars are filled with high fructose corn syrup. Is there any surprise that they will not control blood sugar levels?
The Atkins bar moves closer to being an ideal bar, but it includes Splenda as a sweetener and uses soy protein isolates as the main protein source.
More importantly, with nutritional typing we now recognize that everyone is different and some people might actually require a low-fat, relatively high-carb bar while others may benefit from a bar more similar to the macronutrient ratio of an Atkins Bar.
However, the central issue here is that the ingredients in the bars should come from natural food sources; otherwise you run the risk of potential side effects and complications.
My team and I have been researching this market for quite a few years. But for the many reasons listed in the above article, I've never been satisfied with even the very best bars on the market. And that's why we decided to make an energy bar of our own.
It hasn't been an easy task. I had to bring in one of the world's top biochemists. It's taken a full year of detailed research ... and of course -- tens of thousands of dollars. Even after we had our basic formula, we had to change it 16 times to improve it to the point where we truly believe it is the healthiest and best-tasting bar on the market.
But we finally did it! The Protein Bar is a nutritional powerhouse loaded with a perfect balance of healthy fats, protein and fiber that will truly nourish your body rather than contribute to disease (like so many of the unhealthy bars on the market today do) ... Plus, it really tastes delicious!
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