The Glycemic Index

Glycemic Index: What's It All About?

Good carbohydrates, bad carbohydrates. Low glycemic index, high glycemic index. A great tool to help you manage diabetes or lose weight. You might have heard all these statements associated with the glycemic index. What is this glycemic index all about? Is it worth considering as a way to help you control your blood sugar levels?

The Glycemic Index: Food’s Impact on Blood Sugar in Diabetes

Researchers have spent years debating what makes blood sugar levels too high in those with diabetes. Potential culprits have included sugar, carbohydrates in general, simple carbs, starches, and more. The glycemic index is one attempt to measure each individual food’s effect on blood sugar.

If you're trying to lose weight, calories count more than the types of food in your diet, a U.S. Department of Agriculture-Tufts University study shows.  The study shows that after a year, overweight people on a low-carb low-glycemic-index diet lost just as much weight -- 8% of their original weight -- as people on a reduced-fat, high-glycemic-index diet.

"The present results suggest that a broad range of healthy diets can successfully promote weight loss," conclude Sai Krupa Das, PhD, and Susan B. Roberts, PhD, of the USDA's Human Nutrition Center on Aging at Tufts, and colleagues.

High Glycemic Index Foods Are Linked to Health Problems

What researchers have learned is that high glycemic index foods generally make blood sugar levels higher. In addition, people who eat a lot of high glycemic index foods tend to have greater levels of body fat, as measured by the body mass index (BMI). High BMIs are linked to obesity, heart disease, and diabetes.  High GI foods include many carbs such as:

· White bread

· Pasta

· Rice

· Low-fiber cereals

· Baked goods

Low Glycemic Index Foods Are Healthier Choices

Low glycemic index foods generally have less of an impact on blood sugar levels. People who eat a lot of low glycemic index foods tend to have lower total body fat levels.  Low glycemic index foods include:

· Fruits

· Vegetables

· Whole and minimally processed grains

· Legumes

You may want to work with a dietitian to learn more about combining and preparing foods to achieve the lowest glycemic index levels in your diet plan. It is recommended that about 40% of total caloric intake be from carbohydrates.—WebMD

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