THE Glycaemic Index or GI diet has been making waves for some time. At last, it seemed we had a diet which actually worked while meeting the approval of nutritionists. Championed by celebs such as Rachel Hunter, it rates foods on a 100-point scale, based on how quickly carbohydrates enter the bloodstream as sugar. According to advocates, eating foods with a low glycaemic index helps people feel fuller for longer, reduces cravings and promotes weight-loss. But a new study from the University of South Carolina claims the GI diet is not an effective way of controlling blood sugar levels and that the index is not helpful for people trying to create a healthy diet.

Diabetes researcher Dr Elizabeth MayerDavies says a better index would be one based on the physical characteristics of foods such as fat content and calories, because numerous factors influence the food's effect on blood-sugar levels.

Soft not safe?

IT has been reported that mineral drinks have more than eight times the level of a potentially cancer-causing chemical than is allowed in drinking water. Benzene, which has been linked to leukaemia and other blood cancers, has been found in some of the most popular brands. The chemical, which is used to make glues, paints and detergents, is the byproduct of a reaction between two other ingredients commonly used to make these drinks, Vitamin C and the preservative sodium benzoate. The Food Standards Authority in Britain said that the findings did not pose an immediate health risk but that it would be encouraging the industry to make levels as low as possible.

The drugs don't work

WE might jokingly talk about our jobs driving us to drink but new research has revealed that a pressurised work environment could result in a whole lot worse. A survey of nearly 1,000 young adults in the States has found that those who feel high levels of stress on the job could be at increased risk of drug abuse.

Workers most in danger were those in 'lowcontrol' jobs, where they had little input into the decision-making process.

Researchers from Michigan State University haven't drawn any conclusions as to why low job-control relates to drug dependence. But because the workers surveyed were drug-free to begin with, the findings indicate that job pressure preceded the workers' problems.