What is the glycemic index. How does glycemic load differ from glycemic index. Which foods have low glycemic load. How can understanding glycemic index and load improve your diet. What are the health benefits of consuming low glycemic foods.

Decoding the Glycemic Index: What You Need to Know

The glycemic index (GI) is a valuable tool for understanding how different foods affect your blood sugar levels. It measures how quickly carbohydrates in food raise blood glucose compared to pure glucose. Foods are ranked on a scale from 0 to 100, with pure glucose given a value of 100.

Why is this important? The rate at which your blood sugar rises after eating can significantly impact your energy levels, hunger, and overall health. Foods with a high GI cause rapid spikes in blood sugar, while low GI foods result in more gradual increases.

Glycemic Index Categories:

• Low GI: 55 or less
• Medium GI: 56-69
• High GI: 70 or above

Is a low GI always better? Not necessarily. While low GI foods generally offer more stable energy, the glycemic index doesn’t tell the whole story. This is where glycemic load comes into play.

Glycemic Load: A More Accurate Measure of Blood Sugar Impact

Glycemic load (GL) takes into account both the quality (GI) and quantity of carbohydrates in a food. It provides a more accurate picture of how a particular food will affect blood sugar levels in real-world portions.

The formula for calculating glycemic load is:

GL = (GI x grams of carbohydrate per serving) / 100

Glycemic Load Categories:

• Low GL: 10 or less
• Medium GL: 11-19
• High GL: 20 or more

How does this differ from GI in practice? A food with a high GI but low carbohydrate content can have a low GL. For example, watermelon has a high GI of 72 but a low GL of 4 due to its low carbohydrate content per serving.

Navigating the Glycemic Load Chart: Making Informed Food Choices

Understanding glycemic load can help you make more informed decisions about your diet. Let’s explore some common food categories and their typical GL values:

Dairy Products:

• Full cream milk (250ml): GL 3
• Low-fat fruit yogurt (200g): GL 7
• Mars flavored milk (250ml): GL 15

Fruits:

• Grapefruit (120g): GL 3
• Apple (120g): GL 6
• Banana (120g): GL 12
• Raisins (60g): GL 28

Vegetables:

• Broccoli (80g): GL 1
• Carrots (80g): GL 3
• Sweet potato (150g): GL 17
• Baked potatoes (150g): GL 26

How can you use this information to improve your diet? By choosing foods with lower GL values, you can help maintain more stable blood sugar levels throughout the day. This can lead to improved energy, reduced hunger, and better overall health.

The Role of Glycemic Load in Weight Management and Disease Prevention

Understanding and applying the concept of glycemic load can have significant implications for your health. How does it impact weight management? Foods with a lower GL tend to be more satiating, helping you feel fuller for longer periods. This can naturally lead to reduced calorie intake and better weight control.

Beyond weight management, what are the potential health benefits of focusing on low GL foods? Research suggests that a diet rich in low GL foods may help:

• Reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes
• Improve heart health
• Enhance cognitive function
• Lower inflammation in the body

Are there specific groups who might benefit most from paying attention to glycemic load? Individuals with diabetes or pre-diabetes, those struggling with weight management, and athletes looking to optimize their performance can all benefit from understanding and applying GL concepts to their diet.

Balancing Your Plate: Incorporating Low GL Foods into Your Diet

Transitioning to a lower GL diet doesn’t mean eliminating all high GL foods. Instead, it’s about balance and making informed choices. How can you start incorporating more low GL foods into your meals?

Strategies for Lowering Your Meal’s Glycemic Load:

1. Pair high GL foods with protein or healthy fats to slow digestion
2. Choose whole grains over refined grains
3. Increase your intake of non-starchy vegetables
4. Opt for fruits with lower GL values as snacks
5. Be mindful of portion sizes, especially for high GL foods

What might a balanced, low GL meal look like? Consider a plate with grilled chicken breast, quinoa, roasted vegetables, and a side salad with olive oil dressing. This combination provides a mix of protein, complex carbohydrates, and healthy fats to help stabilize blood sugar levels.

Glycemic Load and Athletic Performance: Fueling Your Workouts

For athletes and fitness enthusiasts, understanding glycemic load can be a game-changer. How can GL impact athletic performance? The timing and composition of carbohydrate intake can significantly affect energy levels, endurance, and recovery.

When might higher GL foods be beneficial for athletes? During intense or prolonged exercise, readily available carbohydrates from higher GL foods can provide quick energy. However, for general training and daily nutrition, lower GL options often offer more sustained energy.

GL Considerations for Different Types of Athletes:

• Endurance athletes: May benefit from higher GL foods during long training sessions or events
• Strength athletes: Often focus on lower GL foods for sustained energy and muscle recovery
• Team sport athletes: Might use a mix of high and low GL foods depending on training intensity and duration

How can athletes optimize their pre and post-workout nutrition using GL principles? Before a workout, consuming lower GL foods can provide sustained energy without causing digestive discomfort. After exercise, a combination of higher GL carbohydrates and protein can aid in recovery and glycogen replenishment.

Beyond the Numbers: Other Factors Affecting Blood Sugar Response

While glycemic load is a valuable tool, it’s important to remember that individual responses to food can vary. What other factors can influence how your body responds to carbohydrates?

• Food preparation methods
• Ripeness of fruits and vegetables
• Presence of other nutrients in the meal
• Individual differences in metabolism
• Overall health and activity level

How does food preparation affect glycemic load? Cooking methods can change the structure of carbohydrates, potentially altering their GL. For example, al dente pasta typically has a lower GL than overcooked pasta.

Is there a role for personal experimentation in understanding your body’s response to different foods? Absolutely. While GL charts provide a general guide, monitoring your own energy levels, hunger, and overall well-being after meals can offer valuable insights into how different foods affect you personally.

Practical Tips for Implementing a Low GL Diet

Armed with knowledge about glycemic load, how can you put this information into practice? Here are some practical strategies for incorporating low GL principles into your daily life:

1. Start with Breakfast

Begin your day with a low GL breakfast to set the tone for stable blood sugar levels. What are some good options?

• Greek yogurt with berries and nuts
• Whole grain toast with avocado and eggs
• Oatmeal with cinnamon and chia seeds

2. Rethink Your Snacks

Replace high GL snacks with lower alternatives. What are some tasty low GL snack ideas?

• Apple slices with almond butter
• Hummus with vegetable sticks
• A small handful of mixed nuts

3. Balance Your Plate

Aim to include protein, healthy fats, and fiber in each meal to help lower the overall GL. How might this look in practice?

• 1/4 plate lean protein
• 1/4 plate complex carbohydrates
• 1/2 plate non-starchy vegetables
• A serving of healthy fats (e.g., olive oil, avocado)

4. Choose Whole Grains

Opt for whole grain versions of bread, pasta, and rice. Why are whole grains generally a better choice?

• Higher fiber content slows digestion
• More nutrients compared to refined grains
• Often have a lower GL than their refined counterparts

5. Be Mindful of Portion Sizes

Remember that GL takes into account the quantity of carbohydrates consumed. How can you practice portion control?

• Use smaller plates
• Measure servings of high GL foods
• Fill up on low GL vegetables first

By implementing these strategies, you can gradually shift towards a lower GL diet without feeling deprived or overwhelmed. Remember, small changes can lead to significant improvements in your overall health and well-being.

Glycemic Load Chart – Glycemic Index

Glycemic load chart below should be used as a guide to make wiser food choices to perform better all day long and feel better generally by keeping your blood glucose levels relatively constant.

If there is a sudden spike in your blood sugar, your pancreas secretes more insulin, bringing your blood sugar down by transforming the excess sugar to fat. The higher the rate is, the lower your blood sugar will go. Blood glucose being too low means increased hunger and fatigue.

Glycemic index and glycemic load are both about the impact of carbohydrate rich foods on your blood glucose levels or in other words how quick or slow they cause a rise and a fall.

That’s how they’ve come up with the glycemic load- GL. GL takes into account both the GI value and the quantity of carbohydrate in that food. So it provides a more accurate picture than glycemic index, as you will see on the glycemic load chart below.

Glycemic Load = (Quantity of carbohydrate content x GI ) / 100.

• GL of 20 or more is high, a GL of 11 to 19 is medium and a GL of 10 or less is low.

• A food with a GI of 70 and a carb content of 10g has a GL value of 7.

• A food with a GI of 10 and a carb content of 70g has also a GL value of 7.

Glycemic Load Chart:

Dairy Products:

• Full cream milk — 250ml — 3

• Soy milk — 250ml — 4

• Skimmed milk 250ml — 4

• Semi skimmed milk — 250ml — 4

• Low fat ice cream — 50g — 6

• Low fat fruit yogurt — 200g — 7

• Banana smoothie — 250ml — 8

• Mars flavoured milk — 250ml — 15

Fruits:

• Grapefruit — 120g — 3

• Cherries — 120g — 3

• Peach — 120g — 4

• Watermelon —120g — 4

• Pear — 120g — 5

• Plum — 120g — 5

• Orange — 120g — 5

• Apricot — 120g — 5

• Apple — 120g — 6

• Grapes — 120g — 8

• Banana — 120g — 12

• Sultanas — 60g — 25

• Raisins — 60g — 28

Vegetables:

• Broccoli — 80g — 1

• Cabbage — 80g — 1

• Spinach — 80g — 1

• Asparagus — 80g — 1

• Carrot — 80g — 3

• Green peas — 80g — 3

• Broad beans — 80g — 9

• Parsnips — 80g — 12

• Sweet potato — 150g — 17

• Sweet corn — 150g — 17

• Baked potatoes — 150g — 26

Legumes:

• Soy beans — 150g — 1

• Lentils — 150g — 5

• Split peas — 150g — 6

• Baked beans — 150g — 7

• Red kidney beans — 150g — 7

• Garbanzos — 150g — 8

• Romano beans — 150g — 8

• Pinto beans — 150g — 10

• Navy beans — 150g — 12

Grains:

• Barley — 150g — 11

• Bulgur — 150g — 12

• Whole wheat kernels — 50g — 14

• Brown rice — 150g — 18

• Couscous — 150g — 23

• White rice — 150g — 23

Cereals:

• Muesli — 30g — 10

• Porridge — 250g — 12

• Kellogg’s All Bran — 30g — 12

• Swiss muesli — 30g — 13

• Oatmeal — 250g — 13

• Kellogg’s Special K — 30g — 14

• Puffed wheat — 30g — 16

• Instant oatmeal — 250g — 17

• Corn flakes — 30g — 19

• Coco pops — 30g — 20

Breads:

• Burgen fruit loaf — 30g — 6

• Pumpernickel Bread — 30g — 6

• Barley and sunflower bread — 30g — 6

• Rye bread — 30g — 7

• Rice bread — 30g — 8

• Whole wheat bread — 30g — 9

• White pita bread — 30g — 10

• Baguette — 30g — 10

• White bagel — 30g — 11

Snacks and Beverages:

• Tomato juice — 250ml — 2

• Apple juice — 250ml — 10

• Carrot juice — 250ml — 10

• Banana cake — 80g — 12

• Vanilla wafers — 25g — 14

• Corn tortilla — 60g — 14

• Pepsi — 250ml — 15

• Cranberry juice drink — 250ml — 16

• Sponge cake — 60g — 16

• Rice cakes — 25g — 17

• Snickers bar — 60g — 19

• Fanta — 250ml — 23 

*Foods with low GL values are almost always low in glycemic index too. Those with medium or high GL could be anything- from very low to very high GI.

*You can only see the glycemic load values of foods on the Glycemic Load Chart above, if you would like the glycemic index values as well, please refer to the Glycemic Index Chart, where you can make a comparison between glycemic index and glycemic load values of carbohydrate rich foods.

Return from Glycemic Load Chart to Glycemic Index home page

Or take me to Low Glycemic Food List from Glycemic Load Chart

Foods That Fuel You: Understanding the Glycemic Index

You want to eat right and don’t know where to start. So, you find yourself surfing the web for examples of “good” and “bad” foods. A list of healthy options is essential for paving the road to a healthy diet. But lists do little to educate you on why good foods are, in fact, good for you.

You can pick better ingredients for healthier meals if you understand how the food you eat creates usable energy in your body. The glycemic index can be just the tool you need to build a better understanding of how food works in your body.

You already know that the food you eat becomes energy. But learning how to use the glycemic index can illuminate just how much energy you can derive from certain foods. It can also teach you about the quality and dependability of that energy.

Glucose—Derived from Food to Fuel the Body

The energy currency for your body is glucose. This simple sugar is an abundant carbohydrate in your diet. Not all of the carbohydrates you consume are in the form of glucose. But they can be transformed to provide this fuel. Throughout digestion, complex carbs are broken down into single glucose molecules to be used for energy or undigested and used to help remove waste.

Glucose—once it’s in this pure form—travels through the blood stream. It provides cellular energy that can be harnessed immediately. But not all energy is needed right away. Sometimes this energy is stored in the liver and muscles as glycogen instead.   The pancreas helps your body make decisions about when to use or store glucose.

These decisions are important. Keeping blood sugar levels in a healthy, normal range makes it easier for your body to manage all the energy it gets from your diet.

Glycemic Index

The glycemic index (GI) provides a way to help you predict the blood-glucose-raising potential of a food. It’s a way of measuring the rate at which carbohydrates are broken down and appear in blood as simple sugars. In general, the more refined and processed the food, the faster it is broken down and the higher the GI.

Some foods can pump a lot of sugar into the blood stream in a short period of time. Foods that increase blood glucose levels quickly are called high-glycemic foods. Others let go of small amounts of glucose over the course of several hours. These are low-glycemic foods.

Let’s look at how glycemic index is calculated. The standard for comparison is glucose itself. It has a glycemic index of 100. The fact that the GI of glucose is 100 is incredibly significant. It represents how quickly food can be converted to blood glucose.

To find the glycemic index of all other foods, they must be compared to the GI of glucose. A pancake, an orange, and a handful of peanuts have very different GIs. That is because they are digested at different rates and cause different blood sugar responses.

(For a more comprehensive chart, there are a few good options you can turn to: The University of Sydney, Linus Pauling Institute, and Research Gate.)

When you eat a pancake, orange, peanuts, or any other food, your blood sugar increases. A medium-sized pancake creates a blood-glucose response that’s 67 percent of the response to pure glucose. An orange, is 42 percent of that glucose response. And peanuts influence blood glucose very little when compared to glucose—only 18 percent.

Basically, when you know the GI of any food, you know how it will generally impact blood-sugar levels relative to glucose. Glycemic index tables list hundreds of foods. Some with high, moderate, and low GIs. Here’s how the categories break down:

• High GI >= 70. Potatoes, cornflakes, jelly beans, watermelon, and white bread are all high GI foods.
• Moderate GI 56-69. Rice, banana, honey, and pineapple are moderate GI foods.
• Low GI < 55. Lentils, carrots, apples, oranges, and pears are all low GI foods.

The glycemic index has a lot of strengths. It highlights the ability of foods to raise blood sugar; and allows blood-glucose response comparison between foods. But the glycemic index doesn’t consider the quantity of the food being consumed.

GI values remain the same for all foods, no matter how much you eat. But that doesn’t mean that eating a lot of a high-glycemic food has the same effect on blood sugar as eating only a little bit. In fact, the opposite is true.

So, how can you use the glycemic index to make smart eating choices? It is hard to judge the difference in quality of foods when pretzels, white bread, and crackers have similar GIs to watermelon and pineapple. Luckily, there’s a solution.

Glycemic Load

Cue glycemic load. A robust, qualitative, and quantitative way to use information from the glycemic index to understand how food affects blood sugar.

Glycemic load (GL) accounts for the quantity of the food in question. GL reflects the blood-glucose-raising potential of how much of a certain food you eat. You can calculate glycemic load for any given food by dividing the GI by 100, then multiplying that number by the amount of available carbohydrates in a serving.

GL_food = (GI_food / 100) x (grams of carbohydrates – grams of fiber)

* Remember, fiber is the material in food that isn’t fully digested by your body. So, when figuring out how many available carbohydrates are in your favorite snack, subtract the grams of fiber from the total grams of carbohydrates.

The values associated with glycemic load are much smaller than glycemic index:

• High GL >= 20.
• Moderate GL 11-19.
• Low GL < 10.

GL takes into consideration the amount of digestible carbohydrates in each serving of food. This is important because sometimes foods with similar GIs have dramatically higher carbohydrate counts.

To demonstrate how glycemic load accounts for carbohydrate content, let’s look at an example. A cup of watermelon and a cup of cornflakes have very similar GIs. They are both high-glycemic foods. But cornflakes and watermelon have very different GLs.

The GL for a cup of cornflakes is 20, making it a high-glycemic-load food. The watermelon’s GL is only eight. These numbers tell you that there are a lot more carbohydrates in one serving of cornflakes than there are in watermelon. To be exact, one cup of cornflakes has 26 grams of carbs. The same amount of watermelon has only 11.

Since watermelon has fewer carbs, it also has fewer calories per serving. Watermelon is a better choice than cornflakes when you’re looking for a quick snack. It’s less calorie dense but just as effective at providing the energy you need to make it to your next meal.

What if instead of one cup of watermelon, you ate two cups? GL reflects the size of your portion of food. It can tell you that the amount of food you eat also influences your blood sugar.

Generally, low GL foods have fewer calories than high GL foods. So high calorie foods aren’t the only option when you need a boost of energy. Low-glycemic-load foods are equipped to provide fuel for your body with a lower risk of overeating and weight gain.

Using GI and GL to Shape a Healthy Diet

You already know that high GI foods act rapidly to influence blood sugar, providing quick energy. However, this energy is usually short-lived and hunger soon returns. This could potentially lead to overeating and weight gain.

Low glycemic index foods affect blood sugar more slowly and steadily. These foods provide greater satiety and longer lasting, more consistent energy. That makes eating less (and maintaining weight) easier.

Spotting high GI/GL and low GI/GL foods takes practice. Luckily, there are easy rules to follow that can set you up for success.

1. Create meals with lots of low and moderate GI/GL foods. Limit high GI/GL foods because they are high in calories and cause blood-sugar highs.
2. Look for non-starchy veggies and fruits. Apples, berries, pears, beans, broccoli, and cauliflower are low GI/GL foods. They will provide plenty of energy over a sustained period of time due to their high fiber content.
3. When in doubt, reach for whole grains. Oats, brown rice, barley, and whole wheat are great choices. Again, lots of natural fiber means longer lasting energy.
4. Avoid packaged and processed foods that are low in protein, fiber and fats. These types of foods are typically high in simple carbohydrates while low in other important macronutrients giving them higher GI/GL values.
5. Moderation matters. Regardless of GI/GL, eat mindfully. Try your best to listen to your body and its signals. When you feel tired and need some energy, eat a healthy snack. When you are full, end your meal and get up and move.

There are lots of ways to make healthy eating choices. Being aware of how the food you eat could affect your blood sugar is just another way to maintain good nutrition and good health.

About the Author

Sydney Sprouse is a freelance science writer based out of Forest Grove, Oregon. She holds a bachelor of science in human biology from Utah State University, where she worked as an undergraduate researcher and writing fellow. Sydney is a lifelong student of science and makes it her goal to translate current scientific research as effectively as possible. She writes with particular interest in human biology, health, and nutrition.

Glycemic Index Food Lists and Explanation – Drink-Drink

03/09/2022 DrinkDrinkAdmin

Content

• Target
• Calculation
  • Glyceme load
• Concerns
  • accuracy
  • General power
  • Limited products
  • Diverse gastrointestinal reactions
  • Limited range
  • Does not include nutrition
• Research
• Glycemic Index List
  • Sugars
  • Dairy
  • Bread
  • Crackers
  • Cold Cereal
  • Hot Cereal 9 0010
  • Grains
  • Pasta
  • Fruit
  • Fruit juice
  • Non-starchy vegetables
  • Starchy vegetables
  • Legumes
  • Nuts and snacks
  • Candy
  • Soft drinks
• Word from Drink-Drink

The glycemic index (GI) measures how foods affect blood glucose levels. The purpose of using the index is to cope with spikes in blood sugar and maintain constant energy throughout the day.

Some people with type 2 diabetes, those on a low carbohydrate diet, or those trying to lose weight may use the glycemic index. However, not everyone agrees that the numbers are accurate enough to be useful.

There is conflicting and somewhat confusing information about using the glycemic index to select specific foods. Here’s what you should know about how GI works.

Goal

Some research suggests that eating a lower glycemic index diet can help manage diabetes. Choosing foods that are less likely to cause a blood sugar spike may be a healthy preventative choice for people who have trouble handling a significant rise in blood glucose levels (for example, people with diabetes, prediabetes, insulin resistance, or metabolic syndrome) .

The GI number assigned to each food gives an estimate of how that food affects blood sugar levels. Choosing or avoiding GI-based foods can help control blood sugar or weight; however, GI is complex and there are many variables to consider.

The GI of any food can vary depending on several factors such as preparation, mixing, shape, density, molecular structure, fiber content, and food processing methods. Meal combinations and whether you eat protein and fiber along with carbohydrates can also play a role in the glycemic response and how the total GI is calculated.

Sometimes certain foods may have a lower GI but are not considered healthy foods. For example, the GI of a watermelon is 72, while the GI of a Snickers candy bar is 41. For most of us who consume enough calories daily, watermelon is preferred over a candy bar.

The glycemic index is not the only tool available. There are many methods that can help people manage their blood sugar levels and choose healthy carbohydrate foods.

Calculation

To fully understand the pros and cons of using the glycemic index, it is helpful to know how the numbers are calculated and assigned.

The researchers used a group of healthy people to determine the index. To begin with, study participants ate a meal with a standard amount of carbohydrates (usually 50 grams). Their blood was then checked every 15 minutes to see how much (and how fast) their blood sugar levels were rising.

Using the glycemic index, each food consumed is rated on a scale of 1 to 100. Foods that raise blood sugar levels rapidly and dramatically receive a higher score. A food that raises blood sugar at a moderate and more steady rate gets a lower score.

For comparison, eating pure glucose (sugar) has a GI of 100. All other foods are ranked relative to the GI of glucose.

GI less than 55 is considered low GI. A score above 70 is considered a high GI.

A food with a glycemic index of 95 will raise blood sugar almost as much as pure glucose, while a food with a glycemic index of 20 will not raise blood sugar at all.

The University of Sydney in Sydney, Australia maintains an international database of GI scores. From 19For 95 years, a team of researchers, nutritionists and scientists from the Constituent Institute for Obesity, Nutrition, Exercise and Eating Disorders and the Charles Perkins Center have maintained a database and a related website.

Glycemic load

The glycemic index does not take into account serving size – an important fact to consider for those who need to control their blood sugar levels.

The effect of food on blood glucose is determined by its sugar content. and the amount consumed. Therefore, glycemic load (GL) tries to combine these concepts.

The glycemic load of a food is a measure that takes into account both the glycemic index and portion size.

Foods with a low glycemic load will have a number between 1 and 10. Foods with a high glycemic load will have a GL of 20 or higher. Medium GL products fall within these ranges.

Concerns

accuracy

While the glycemic index may be a useful tool for some, there are concerns about the accuracy of the numbers.

The final GI is affected by many factors, such as physical differences between test subjects, food preparation methods, laboratory methods, and normal differences between foods.

In addition, the final number assigned is an estimate based on the average of all individual physical responses, which may have been based on studies conducted in various locations around the world.

For example, the GI index of Froot Loops has been assigned a GI of 69, but the range reported by individual subjects was 60 to 78.

The GI of a food is sometimes presented as a range representing the highest and lowest values ​​from different studies. But food and people can be very different. The glycemic index can provide general information about carbohydrates and this concept can be useful in some situations. However, users need to be aware of the scope of the index. The best way to find out how food affects blood sugar is to measure your blood sugar before and two hours after eating.

General nutrition

Another concern of some health experts is that the glycemic index does not account for general nutrition. For example, a low GI food may not have a strong effect on blood sugar levels, but this does not necessarily mean that it is healthy.

For example, ice cream can be a low GI food, with a minimum score of 21. Most nutrition experts would agree that ice cream is a less healthy choice than brown rice, a high fiber food that has a GI range of 50 to 87.

The glycemic index also does not take into account the sodium, vitamin or mineral content of food, or other nutrients that a person would like to consider before including food in their diet.

Restricted Foods

Foods tested for the glycemic index are high in carbohydrates. Given that the standard carb count is 50 grams, spaghetti is included in the index because it makes sense that a person could eat 1¼ cups of spaghetti (the amount you would need to get 50 grams).

On the other hand, it would be difficult to get 50 grams of carbs from raw broccoli (you would need to eat about 10 cups in one sitting). Thus, the glycemic index of broccoli (and other foods that you need to eat to increase the amount of carbohydrates) is not checked.

Diverse gastrointestinal reactions

When food is tested for the glycemic index, there are usually significant differences between study participants. This makes it difficult to determine how a particular person will react to a particular food.

A 2015 study examining the consistency of responses to food found that each participant in the study responded the same way to foods on different days. However, there were huge differences between people who ate the same food.

Limited range

Foods tested for glycemic index fall within a fairly narrow range. Here are some examples.

• Potatoes and pancakes often have a GI over 90.
• Medium grain rice, rice paste, many baked goods, and some processed cereals have a GI over 80.
• Sports drinks, white bread, rutabaga and watermelon ranked 70th.
• Various legumes, grapefruits and nuts are at the bottom of the scale with a glycemic index below 40.

Most of the foods tested have a GI between 40 and 70. Given that the GI is based on averages and not exact numbers, it is difficult to assess the exact difference between products.

Does not include nutrition

The glycemic index provides information for only one food. However, in most cases, we eat more than one food at a time. In fact, we create most meals and snacks by combining products.

When we eat different carbohydrate foods at one meal, how do we count them? Proteins and fats tend to lower the glycemic response of food, but we have no way of knowing how much, except that each person checks their own blood (which is impractical in everyday life).

Research

Researchers have studied the use of the glycemic index with mixed results. Much of the research has focused on the use of the GI for weight loss, reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease, and treating diabetes.

A review in 2012 acknowledged that replacing fatty foods with sugary foods can have a detrimental effect on weight control and the risk of cardiovascular and inflammatory diseases. It has also been suggested that using the GI to select healthier foods may partially mitigate this risk.

In another food-controlled study, a DASH diet with low GI foods was compared with a DASH diet with higher GI foods (both low in carbohydrates). The researchers concluded that choosing low-GI foods did not improve insulin sensitivity, lipid levels, or systolic blood pressure.

A study published in African Health Sciences in 2016 examined the advantages and disadvantages of using the concepts of low glycemic index foods and glycemic load foods as key factors in the dietary management of type 2 diabetes. Because of the discrepancies in GI and GL scores, the researchers concluded that people should balance the numbers with other information before including certain foods in their diet.

A 2018 review examining the use of GI for disease prevention reported similar results. The review authors stated that “other measures of nutritional quality, such as fiber or whole grains, may be more likely to predict health outcomes. ”

Research has provided mixed results on the use of the glycemic index to manage diabetes, weight, or risk of cardiovascular disease. Many scientists are coming to the conclusion that other factors may have a greater impact on overall health.

Glycemic index list

Here are some examples of how foods are compared based on the glycemic index, according to the University of Sydney Glycemic Index database:

Sugars

Drink-Drink / Aleksandra Shitsman

All of these are 50g servings. Lactose: 43-46

Dairy products

Drink-Drink / Alexandra Shitsman

• Milk, regular (full): 11–41
• Milk, skimmed: 32–37 90 010
• Yoghurt without addition sugar: 17-21

Bread

Drink-Drink / Alexandra Shitsman

• White bread, Miracle, enriched flour: 71-77
• Whole grain bread made with 100% whole grain flour: 52-87.
• Muffins: may vary depending on ingredients from 37 to over 100.
• Cakes: may vary significantly depending on ingredients from 30 to 80.
• Pancakes: may vary depending on ingredients from 46 to over 100.
• Waffles: some brands are priced at around 76

Crackers

Drink-Drink / Alexandra Shitsman

• Rice cakes: 61–91
• High fiber rye bread: 59
• Thin wheat pits: 67

9001 5

Cold flakes

Drink-Drink / Alexandra Shitsman

• Bran cereal: 30-55
• Bran Buds: 58
• Psyllium bran: 47
• Corn flakes: 72-92 (American corn flakes were 92)
• Corn check: 8 3
• Froot Loops: 69
• Golden Grams: 71
• Grape Nuts: 67–80
• Life: 66
• Puffed Wheat: 67–80
• Cheks Rice : 89
• Rice crisps: 82
• Milled wheat: 67-83
• Special K: 54–84
• Total: 76
• Vitabix: 75

Hot cereal

Drink-Drink / Alexandra Shitsman

• Wheat porridge: 66
• Instant wheat porridge: 74
• Rolled oats (not instant): 50-75
• Instant rolled oats: 65

Grains

Grains listed are cooked whole unless otherwise noted.

Drink-Drink / Alexandra Shitsman

• Barley: 22–48
• Barley, crushed: 50
• Barley, rolled: 66
• Buckwheat: 49–63
• Cu cornmeal boiled in water: 69
• Couscous ( processed wheat): 61–69
• Nationality: 71
• Rice, long grain white: 50-69
• Rice, short and medium grain white: 75-89
• Rice, brown: 50-87
• Wheat, whole grains: 30-48
• Wheat, bulgur (cracked wheat): 46–53

Pasta

Drink-Drink / Aleksandra Shitsman

The glycemic index of wheat pasta (most pasta) depends on how it is prepared and what it is cooked with.

Pasta cooked al dente (somewhat firm) has the lowest glycemic index. The longer you cook it, the softer it is and the higher the GI.

• Mung bean noodles, boiled: 39-45
• Rice pasta (including brown) 51-92
• Wheat pasta: most studies show GI in the 40s and 50s.
• Gluten-free pasta: 54

Fruit

Drink-Drink / Alexandra Shitsman

• Apples: 28-44
• Apricots, raw: 34-57
• Abri braids canned in light syrup: 64 pcs.
• Dried apricots: 30-32
• Apricot spread, reduced sugar: 55
• Banana, unripe: 30
• Banana, overripe: 52
• Banana, not specified: 46-70
• Melon: 65-70
• Cherry, sour: 22
• Dates not specified: 62
• Grapefruit: 25
• Grape: 43-49
• Kiwi: 47-58
• Stem: 41-60
• Orange: 31-51

90 009 Papaya: 56-60

• Peach: 28-56
• Pear: 33-42
• Pineapple: 51-66
• Plum: 24-53
• Raisin: 49-66
• Strawberry: 40
• Watermelon: 72-80

Fruit juice

Drink-Drink / Alexandra Shitsman 90 008

• Carrot juice: 43
• Cranberry juice cocktail : 52-68
• Grapefruit juice: 48
• Orange juice: 46-57
• Pineapple juice: 46
• Tomato juice: 33

Non-starchy vegetables

Most non-starchy vegetables are not tested because the person would have to eat a large amount to get the 50 grams of carbs needed for the test.

Many vegetables cause little or no rise in blood sugar levels because the small amount of carbohydrates they contain is balanced by fiber. For this reason, in low glycemic index diets, vegetables are sometimes referred to as “free” foods.

Some vegetables, such as tomatoes and carrots, for example, contain more carbohydrates and can therefore lead to high blood sugar levels. According to the University of Sydney database, raw carrots have a glycemic index of 16.

Starchy vegetables

Drink-Drink / Alexandra Shitsman

• Beets: 64
• Corn: 52
• Parsnips, peeled, boiled: 52
• Potatoes: 23-118 (in depending on the type of potato and method of preparation)
• Potatoes instant: 74-97
• Rutabagas: 72
• Sweet potatoes: 44-94

Sweet potatoes and yams cover a wide range of species, which are named differently depending on where you are in the world. For example, the pomegranate yam in the US is a type of sweet potato. Species are rarely listed in tables.

Legumes

Unless otherwise stated, figures shown refer to dried beans or boiled peas.

Drink-Drink / Alexandra Shitsman

• Black-eyed peas: 33-50
• Butter beans: 26-36
• Chickpeas (chickpea beans): 31-36
• Chickpeas, canned: 38-42 9001 0
• Beans (dried and boiled ): 23-42
• Beans, canned: 52
• Dark blue beans: 30-39
• Navy beans, pressure-cooked: 29–59
• Peas, dried, split: 25
• Pinto beans: 39
• Pinto beans, canned: 45

Nuts and snacks

Drink-Drink / Alexandra Shitsman

9 0009 Cashews: 22-27
• Corn chips: 42-74
• Ice cream: 21-80
• Peanuts: 7-23 (average 14)
• Popcorn: 55-89
• Pop tarts: 70
• Potato chips: 51-60

Candies

Drink -Drink / Alexandra Shitsman

• Jelly Bean: 76-80
• Kudos Chocolate Chip Bar: 62
• Life Savers: 70
• Mars Strip: 62-68
• Pins: 70

900 09 Snickers: 41-68 (for a simple taste)

Soft drinks

Drink-Drink / Alexandra Shitsman

• Coke: 53–63
• Gatoride: 78
• GatorLode, orange flavor: 100

Word from Drink-Drink

While the use of the glycemic index is beneficial for some , it is not an effective tool for others. If you plan to use it, try to gather more information about the nutritional value of the product in order to make an informed decision. Talk to your healthcare provider, registered dietitian, or diabetes educator about how best to manage your health and overall well-being.

Why low glycemic index foods may not work for weight loss

Food and Health

What is the glycemic index and why do we need to calculate it / Clarifying the important points – an article from the “Food and weight” section on Food.ru

Why this indicator is needed

Glycemia is the amount of sugar in the blood. The glycemic index measures how much and how quickly blood sugar levels rise after eating certain foods. This is not literally the rate at which sugar enters the bloodstream from what is eaten, but rather the proportion of glucose in all the carbohydrates of a particular food.

How to calculate the glycemic index

The reference point (100 points) is the effect of pure glucose, since it is she who is the absolute champion in this indicator. All other products are more or less close to the index of 100, and some even surpass.

For example, 100 grams of white rice has 74 grams of carbohydrates, and the GI of white rice is 70. It turns out that if you eat a serving of rice of 100 grams, 74 x 0.7 = 51.8 grams of pure glucose will enter your body. This is called the glycemic load of the product.

It’s easy to find tables on the Internet that show the glycemic indexes of fruits, vegetables, meats, typical breakfasts, lunches, dinners – literally everything that is edible. Fanatically tracking each of these (especially when combined with pedantic counting of calories, proteins, fats, and carbohydrates) is a sure way to increased anxiety. Rather, it is important to understand a few basic principles of body metabolism.

The higher the glycemic index, the faster satiety sets in and the faster it disappears: insulin levels rise sharply, and excess carbohydrates accumulate in the form of fat stores.

The lower the GI, the longer the feeling of hunger does not return. At the same time, the product does not cause a sharp jump in blood glucose and is not deposited in adipose tissue.

Does this mean that foods with a low glycemic index are healthier

Not at all. The glycemic index cannot be a measure of health in and of itself. In addition, for example, for pasta, the index varies from 40 to 90, depending on the type of flour and a dozen other factors.

And yet, since the 1990s, the division of products into three categories, taking into account the GI, has been accepted all over the world (we list only conditional “garnishes”, otherwise the list will be endless):

• foods with a low glycemic index (up to 55): barley, lentils, broccoli, wholemeal spaghetti, white beans, beans, buckwheat;

• foods with an average glycemic index (56-69): colored beans, green peas, wild rice, white rice, jacket potatoes, bulgur;

• foods with a high glycemic index (from 70): rice noodles, corn, boiled, baked and fried potatoes, pasta, brown rice.

Is it necessary to calculate the glycemic index

For insulin-dependent diabetics, this indicator is extremely useful. Thanks to him, you can create a menu that is optimal in terms of taste and effect on sugar levels.

It also makes sense to pay attention to the GI for those who seriously and regularly go in for sports. If you need endurance (for example, before a marathon, a long swim or a bike ride), then low GI foods will be indispensable. But foods with a high GI will come in handy later – they will allow you to recover faster after a race or race.

However, losing weight, focusing primarily on GI, is hardly possible. For dieters, counting KBZhU (calories, proteins, fats, carbohydrates) will be much more informative. Although, of course, everyone should keep in mind the idea that broccoli (GI = 10) will load the pancreas less than boiled potatoes (GI = 83).

What can be done?

Download an application on your phone that can tell you the glycemic index and calculate the load – they are designed for people with diagnosed diabetes, but also useful for those who want to monitor their diet.