GLYCEMIC INDEX

thE LOWER THE BETTER

Glycemic index (GI) is a number that gives you an idea about how fast your body converts the carbohydrates in a food into glucose. The GI is a way to rank foods containing carbs on a scale from 1 to 100 based on how much they affect your blood sugar levels. Two foods with the same amount of carbohydrates can have different GI numbers. The smaller the number, the less impact the food has on your blood sugar. 

You can group foods into three categories based on their GI: low, medium, and high. A score of 100 means that a food has a big effect on your blood sugar, while a score of 1 indicates little effect. GI can help you make food choices. For example, following a low-GI diet can help you avoid spikes in your blood sugar levels.

  • 1 to 55 = Low 

  • 56 to 69 = Medium

  • 70 to 100 = High

The reason some foods make blood sugar shoot up fast is that simple carbohydrates in them, such as refined sugars and white flour, are easier for your body to change into glucose, the sugar your body uses for energy. In contrast, carbs such as those in vegetables and whole grains are digested more slowly. Foods that are close to how they're found in nature tend to have a lower glycemic index than refined and processed foods. If you eat a lot of those high-GI carbs, you may have a harder time controlling your blood sugar.

The reason this measure depends on carbs and not fats or lipids is that carbohydrates contain sugars, starches, and fiber. When your body breaks down sugar or starches, they turn into glucose. This sugar is the main energy source for your cells.

You need glucose, but not too much. Your body makes hormones to control glucose levels. These hormones include insulin and glucagon. Insulin moves glucose from your blood into your other organs. Glucagon releases glucose stored in your liver when you need more blood sugar. Your body should normally keep glucose levels at a healthy level. But this can change if you have diabetes or don't respond to insulin the way you should.

Embracing a high-protein diet offers tailored benefits, including enhanced blood sugar control, satiety promotion, muscle preservation, and weight management support.

DO low gi diets work?

Studies have shown different results, but a low-GI diet may help you:

  • Lose weight

  • Lower blood pressure

  • Lower cholesterol

  • Improve or prevent diabetes

  • Prevent heart and vascular diseases

How to Lower the Glycemic Index of Foods

  • A food's GI index is a starting point on paper. But it could be different on your plate, depending on how you prepare and store your food. It also depends on how ripe it is and what you eat it with.

  • Preparation. Fat, fiber, and acid (such as lemon juice or vinegar) lower the glycemic index. The longer you cook starches such as pasta, the higher their glycemic index will be.

  • Food storage. If you keep starchy foods in the refrigerator after cooking, it can make them have more resistant starch. When you eat foods with resistant starch, you can't digest them as easily, which lowers the GI. Cook and cool potatoes, bread, pasta, or rice to lower their GI.

  • Ripeness. The glycemic index of fruits such as bananas goes up as they get sweeter and more ripe

  • Other foods eaten at the same time. You can bring down the overall glycemic index of a meal by combining a high-glycemic index food with foods that have lower ones. Adding fiber, fat, protein, or vinegar can change the way your body breaks down foods. For example, adding protein to rice will lower the GI. Adding ingredients such as pickles or olive oil can help, too.

Factors such as your age, how active you are, and how fast you digest food also affect how your body reacts to the carbs you eat. If you have a diabetes complication called gastroparesis, which delays your stomach from emptying, your body will absorb food much more slowly. When you break food down more slowly, it takes longer for glucose to enter your bloodstream.

portion size still matters!

The more of whatever kind of carbs you eat, the more they'll affect your blood sugar. This is referred to as glycemic load.


Reference: How to Use the Glycemic Index.Medically Reviewed by Zilpah Sheikh, MD on February 05, 2024. Written by Kendall K. Morgan