Once a staple on American dinner tables, the white potato has been shunned as a high-carb food outcast for the last couple of years.

In desperation, farmers are now introducing a new "low-carb" potato to the marketplace this year. As with all genetically modified food, our stance here is to be cautious.

Instead, if you simply can't resist the simple pleasure of the potato, you might reconsider the temperature at which you eat it, rather than turn to a genetically altered variety.

While most people have been avoiding carbs to induce weight loss, the biggest sin of potatoes -- and many other high-carb foods -- is their high ranking on the glycemic index (see what is...below). All foods impact your glucose levels when consumed, but high-glycemic index affects it more than others. And with the rates of diabetes soaring, monitoring weight and glucose levels go hand in hand.

Several factors impact the glycemic index of a given food: its fiber, protein, and fat content; how much it has been processed, and the way it is cooked. Some researchers have proposed that a possible fourth factor could be the temperature at which it is served. A recent study measured blood glucose, insulin, cholesterol, and triglyceride levels before and three hours after eating hot boiled potatoes, boiled potatoes that had been cooled, and that glucose-spiking standby, white bread.

Apparently, the glycemic index of the hot potatoes exceeded that of the white bread, but was significantly lower when the potatoes were served cool.

Of course, these results may not be limited to the potato alone. There are food wars raging already about whether cooked food or raw food is better for your health. Beyond just their glycemic loads, cooked foods are also suspect when it comes to causing cancer. When foods are cooked beyond a certain temperature (for potatoes the magic temperature is roughly 250 degrees Farenheit) they form a cancer-causing agent called acrylamide. Acrylamide levels are highest in potato and cereal-based products subjected to heat processing such as frying, grilling, or baking.

But it is not an option (at least an appealing one) to eat potatoes -- or a number of other foods -- raw. Proponents of cooked foods contend that limiting your diet to raw foods can rob the body of some extremely healthy foods that are only edible or palatable when cooked. Also, there's the increased risk of bacteria and foodborne illnesses when foods are not cooked to a certain temperature. But raw food advocates believe that cooking foods taints their nutritional value, and any food that cannot be eaten raw, shouldn't be eaten at all.

And if that wasn't all confusing enough, now we can add temperature to the debate. Stay tuned. This new study is certain to stimulate other researchers to see if this finding extends to other foods.

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Face lift

Q: About a month ago, my husband began experiencing the symptoms of Bell's palsy. Can you give me any suggestions for minimizing the effects of this disease? My doctor seems unconcerned and says it doesn't last, but we find it unnerving.

JVW: Bell's palsy is a weakening or paralysis of the muscles of the face and is due to trauma to the facial nerve. Because it usually affects only one side of the face and involves the muscles around the eye and mouth, drooling and tearing are embarrassing and inconvenient symptoms of this disease.

The symptoms usually comes on very quickly and can occur to any one at any age, but older people, diabetics, pregnant women, and those with compromised immune systems are more at risk. Studies suggest that the herpes simplex virus may play a part in the development of Bell's palsy. The good news is that it's not permanent and will likely resolve itself in six to 12 months.

In the meantime, some people find that methylcobalamin -- a form of B12 -- can have a positive effect on Bell's palsy symptoms. Methylcobalamin is essential to the function and maintenance of nerve cells and their protective covering, the myelin sheath. I usually recommend 1,000 to 2,000 micrograms (1-2 ccs) daily until any beneficial effects have "plateaued" for several days. Stop after seven to 10 days if you find it is not helpful.

Taking a B-complex is also a good idea (especially one that contains B12, B1, and B6) but these don't usually contain methylcobalamin -- you'll have to work with a skilled natural medicine physician to find a separate source for that.

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What is...the glycemic index?

The glycemic index (GI) is a measure of the rate at which a carb breaks down and releases glucose into the bloodstream. The higher the GI of a food, the greater its effect on insulin secretion.

Processed foods tend towards a higher GI than foods in their natural, unprocessed state. For example, fruit juices have a higher GI than their whole fruit counterparts. Flour has a higher GI than the whole grains it's made from.

When you eat protein and fats along with with carbs, you can slow down the carbs' rate of entry into the bloodstream, thus lowering their glycemic effect. This is one reason why eating a "balanced" meal is important.

Yours in good health,
Amanda Ross
Managing Editor
Nutrition & Healing

Sources: Nadine Najjar, et al. "Glycemic and insulinemic responses to hot vs. cooled potato in males with varied insulin sensitivity." Nutrition Research 2004; 24: 993-1,004 Furuta Y, et al. "Reactivation of herpes simplex virus type 1 in patients with Bell's palsy." J Med Virol 1998; 54(3):162-166

Abiko Y, Ikeda M, Hondo R. "Secretion and dynamics of herpes simplex virus in tears and saliva of patients with Bell's palsy." Otol Neurotol. 2002; 23(5): 779-783