The Importance of Glycemic Index
Saturday, July 17, 2010
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Glycemic Index or GI as it's popularly known is an index that ranks carbohydrate foods.
This ranking is done based on the food's effect on blood sugar compared with a standard reference food's effect on blood sugar. A food that surges the blood sugar quickly is called a high GI food, and that which increases the blood sugar slowly and steadily is referred to as a low GI food. The presence of fiber normally reduces the rate of absorption of glucose into the bloodstream.
Foods are given a rating from 0 to 100 on the GI. A food with a GI of 55 or less is considered to be of low GI.
Here's a short list of GI of some common foods -
Glucose - 100
White rice - 98
Baguette - 95
Jacket potato - 85
Cornflakes - 84
French fries - 75
Bagel - 72
White bread - 70
Croissant - 67
Raisins - 64
Ice cream - 61
Honey - 58
Muesli - 56
Banana - 55
Stone ground wholemeal bread - 53
Peas - 48
Lentil soup - 44
Apples - 38
Skimmed milk - 32
Grapefruit - 25
Low GI foods help in controlling diabetes and increase the body's sensitivity to insulin. Such foods increase the sugar levels in the body to sustain energy levels for longer periods of time. This means an individual will feel less inclined to eat because energy is being slowly released into the bloodstream. Low GI foods are also believed to reduce the risk of heart disease and help in sustaining weight loss. Though it's good to identify and choose foods with low GI, other nutrients will also play an important role in health-building.
More recently, Glycemic Load has been in discussion as a better option for diabetics than Glycemic Index. Glycemic Load (GL) tells us the density of carbohydrates in the foods. A food item having a high GI might have a low GL. The GL of a food is calculated by multiplying the GI by the amount of carbohydrate in grams provided by a food and dividing the total by 100. For example, cornflakes, which has a GI of 84 has a GL of 22.
Increasing the intake of whole grains, legumes, fruits and vegetables will ensure that the GI and GL are well controlled. Finally, it's important to ensure a healthy well-balanced food intake rather than counting the GI and GL of individual foods.
Work with your dietitian to find out what's best for you.
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Tags: Chronic Lifestyle Diseases, Diabetes, Diabetes Management, Diet, Gestational Diabetes, Metabolic Syndrome, Nutrition, Obesity / Weight Loss, Pre-Diabetes, Type 1 Diabetes - Juvenile Diabetes, Type 2 Diabetes - Insulin Dependent Diabetes
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