Glycemic Index benefits Healthy DietThe glycemic index is a measure of the impact that carbohydrates have on glucose levels in the bloodstream. The glycemic index ranges from 0 to 100, with 100 being the value for straight table sugar. A carbohydrate that is low on the glycemic index scale converts to glucose slowly. A high glycemic index carbohydrate converts to glucose rapidly. Increased glucose levels trigger insulin release. Insulin is a sugar-lowering hormone and its release brings glucose back to reasonable levels. Spikes in glucose trigger spikes in insulin. This contributes to the sleepy feeling (a drop in blood glucose levels) after a big meal. The higher insulin production also contributes to fat storage rather than burning the consumed calories. A lifestyle of overeating or eating high GI carbs can ultimately contribute to obesity and adult onset diabetes. The measurement of GI is complicated and can vary. Each person has a different glucose / insulin response to the foods they eat. Foods are tested on people to determine the index. Some of us gain weight with every potato chip, others can eat forever and always be thin. Since the glycemic index is an average over many people, use it as a guideline, not an absolute. Additionally, we usually eat several foods together in a meal and the tests are conducted on individual foods. The glycemic index for a meal is not just the weighted average of the foods in the meal – the conversion of the carbs in the meal is dependent on the digestive system. Equally important as the food’s glycemic index is the glycemic load, which is basically a combination of the glycemic index and the amount of the food ingested. If you routinely eat a pound of pasta rather than a single serving of 4 ounces, you are likely to gain weight rather than lose it, even though pasta has a low glycemic index. It is best to eat small amounts of good carbs more frequently throughout the day to maintain a more constant level of blood glucose with fewer spikes. Avoid extremes. A good rule of thumb for carbs is to eat whole grain or multi-grain bread, pasta, raw whole fruit rather than fruit juice, and avoid potatoes if you are trying to lose weight. If faced with a super sugary desert, with the associated high GI and bad carbs, a small piece will not kill your diet, but the whole cake will. Example GI values of common foods:
Foods having a GI score less than 55 are considered low GI foods. Foods having a GI score greater than 70 are considered High GI foods. For more information you can visit the Glycemic Index page on Wikipedia. |