Glycemic Index Help

what is glycemic index?

Public Comments

1. "Glycemic index (also glycaemic index, GI) is a ranking system for carbohydrates based on their effect on blood glucose levels in the first two hours. It compares carbohydrates gram for gram in individual foods, providing a numerical, evidence-based index of postprandial (post-meal) glycemia." So basically it just tells you how many carbs are in many foods. It's for people who are watching carbs, but mainly for diabetics I think, because my grandma uses one when she cooks food for my grandad.
2. The glycemic index is a newer way of "ranking" foods. As opposed to merely charting things by how many grams of protein, carbohydrates, and fats they contain, the glycemic index ranks foods by their effect on blood glucose levels. Foods with a high glycemic index are foods that cause a "spike" in sugar levels in the blood. Foods with a low glycemic index take longer to breakdown in the digestive system so that the glucose level in the blood does not rise so high so quickly. Knowing which foods have a higher or lower glyceic index is very helpful to people with diabetes, but it can also be useful to help avoid those "crashes" after some meals, etc. Here is a chart listing some foods and their glycemic index: http://www.diabetesnet.com/diabetes_food_diet/glycemic_index.php The link in the source section provides more extensive information.
3. Hi In straight forward terms the Glycemic Index (GI) is a term used by many diet books to describe foods which raise levels of blood sugar rapidly. High GI foods are mainly simple carbohydrates or 'simple sugars", like chocolate, fruit, white bread, and pasta. Low GI foods are those that are slowly absorbed into the blood stream. Protein foods and fibrous foods like green veggies are by-n-large low GI foods. While this seems to be a logical way to categorise carbs it is misleading, since it doesn't take into account the amount of carbohydrate in different servings of food. The more appropriate indicator of the effect of foods on blood sugar levels is the Glycemic Load (GL). carrots, for example, are known to have a very high GI value but the overall GL is quite low. The carbs from most fruit and vegetables exibit similar properties. That is, they have a high GI value if you look at a lot of diet books like the "Low Carb Diet" and the "GI Diet", but really contain a low overall amount of sugary carbohydrate per serving. (Corbin et al., 2006). While there is merit in trying to reduce excessive consumption of simple sugars, it is important to point out that excess calories, especially from high GI foods, are only problematic if caloric intake is larger than caloric expenditure. Carbs are the body's preferred form of energy for physical activity, and the body is well equipped for processing extra carbohydrates. Carbs are easily stored in the liver and muscles in the form of glycogen, the body's main source of available energy, and in the blood as blood sugar, but only in miniscule amounts. Since carbohydrates are are not associated with chronic diseases or over taxing the liver and kidneys like high protein diets can do, increasing carbs in the diet is more desirable than supplementing protein or consuming higher amounts of fat, eg., the "Atkins Diet", "Low Carb Diet", and the "GI Diet". Craig