A study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine shows that eating carbohydrates with a high glycemic index increases the risk of coronary heart disease in women. A diet high in carbohydrates increases the risk of heart disease by increasing blood sugar and blood levels of harmful cholesterol called triglycerides and decreasing levels of “good” cholesterol (HDL cholesterol), which is an indicator of how much a food raises blood sugar compared to an equivalent amount of glucose or white bread. Another relevant indicator is the glycemic load, which is calculated from the glycemic index of a food and its total carbohydrate content. Foods with a high glycemic index include: Sucrose 61 Cake 67 Croissants 67 Doughnuts 76 Baked white potatoes 85 Mashed potatoes 92 Sweet potatoes 61 White bread Other foods such as fruits and vegetables have a low glycemic index.