Why do people care about the glycemic index?

What is the glycemic index and why it is important

When making smart food choices, consider calories and carbs, fast foods and fats, and more. There is one more item you should pay attention to: the glycemic index (GI). GI was originally designed for people with diabetes, but it can be useful for all of us. GI is a measure of the quantity of afood - the amount that is likely to increase blood sugar. When we eat, our bodies convert digestible carbohydrates in food into glucose. Glucose provides energy to your cells and tells your pancreas to produce insulin, which helps your cells absorb glucose. Depending on different foods, you digest and convert their carbohydrates at different rates. The lower the GI of a particular food, the slower you digest it, gradually increasing your blood sugar and insulin.

Why a high glycemic index is bad for your health

The higher the GI, the faster blood sugar rises , This is bad because eating foods that raise blood sugar quickly will trigger the rapid release of insulin. This causes your blood sugar to drop rapidly, leading to hunger, lethargy, and the desire to eat again. Research shows that if this goes on for several years, your post-meal blood sugar will be higher and your insulin secretion will be higher. This can lead to obesity, irreversible type 2 diabetes, heart disease and gallbladder disease. How is the glycemic index measured and what are its levels?

The GI rating of foods is 0-100, Here are some foods and their relative GI:

• Low GI – Under 55 (100% stone ground whole wheat, sweet potatoes, peas, other non-starchy vegetables and most fruits)
• Medium GI – 56-99 (whole wheat and rye bread, quick oats and brown rice)
• High GI – 70 or higher (white bread, corn chips, russet potatoes, melon and pineapple)

Generally, the more cooked or processed a food is, or the more mature it is, the higher its GI.

Gluten-freediet and paleo diet and glycemic index

Paleo diet (Paleo diet) - mainly fruits, vegetables and meats - tend to have a lower GI if consumed in the most unprocessed form possible (whole grains, cooked barley, whole wheat Bread), gluten-containing foods (wheat, rye and barley) have a lower GI. Gluten-free foods made from rice or potato flour have a higher GI than wheat products. If you don't eat gluten, choose whole grains such as oatmeal and quinoa, which have a relatively low GI. However, just because a food has a low GI does not mean it is healthier. Some low-GI foods, such as ice cream and chocolate cake with frosting, are high in sugar and/or bad fats.

What are the limitations of the glycemic index

As ahealthy diet that relies solely on the glycemic index , you can: p>

• Combine foods: You can start with a high GI baked potato but add margarine on top and lower the GI. Mixing foods together changes the way you digest them, which overall changes their glycemic index.
• Sizing: GI is based on 50 grams. With some foods, this is a lot. In this unit of measurement, watermelon and donuts have the same GI. But when you sit down to eat them, they really aren't. A cup of watermelon contains 7 grams of carbohydrates (GI 72), while a piece of chocolate cake with frosting has 52 grams (GI 38).
• Types and Total Carbohydrates: The glycemic index only represents individual foods and does not represent the total amount of a meal.

What is glycemic load and why is it important

LikeGI, Glycemic load (GL) affects glucose and insulin, but GL not only considers the GI of a single food, but also Itscommon portion sizes of food. The so-called dietary GL refers to the total amount of GL consumed in a meal.

• Low dietary GL – 10 or less
• Medium Diet GL – 11-19
• High dietary GL – 20 or higher

For example, the watermelon mentioned above has a GL of 7, while the chocolate cake with frosting has a GL of 12.5. Clearly, watermelon is healthier, but these numbers are not the same for everyone - we are all unique, A recent Israeli study published in the scientific journal Cell The blood sugar levels after meals were studied in 800 people over the same week. It found that everyone metabolizes meals differently. This is because their age, BMI (body mass index) and other factors have different effects on their blood sugar levels. This study shows that people need to develop personalized eating plans.

Glycemic Index and Glycemic Load DietConclusions

Compared to the GI and GL food lists, it is actually best to eat a balanced diet that includes fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, legumes, fish, and small amounts of red meat and poultry. And good fats. Eat less foods containing simple carbohydrates, but don't miss foods rich in vitamins, minerals and fiber. Watch your portion sizes. Foods with low GI and GL should be chosen frequently. Eat healthy and in moderation, and you can't go wrong in the general direction.