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Glycemic Index, Blood Sugar and Diabetes |
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Glycemic Index, what is the ?Glycemic index (GI) is measurement of the rate at which carbohydrates convert to glucose in the blood and cause blood sugar to rise. A scale of 0-100 is used, with pure glucose being 100.Glycemic Index is it important?The body performs best when the blood sugar level is kept relatively constant. If the blood sugar drops too low, you can become lethargic and/or experience increased hunger. If it goes too high, your brain signals your pancreas to secrete more insulin which brings the blood sugar back down. Unfortunately this process converts the excess sugar to stored body fat. The greater the rate of increase in blood sugar, the greater the chances that more chance that the body will release excess amounts of insulin, which will drive your blood sugar down too low. Consequently, eating foods that cause rapid/large glycemic responses may give you an initial elevation in energy as your blood sugar rises. However, this rise in blood sugar is usually followed by a cycle of lethargy, more hunger and increased fat storage.Even though increased fat storage sounds bad enough, individuals with diabetes mellitus, types 1 and 2 have an even greater problem. Their bodies are unable to secrete or process insulin which causes their blood sugar to rise too high, leading to a host of additional other serious problems. While many sugary, sweet tasting foods do have high GI numbers, some starchy foods like potatoes and white bread score even higher than honey or table sugar (sucrose)! Good High GI foods?Concerning individuals with normal bodily functions (non-diabetics), there are times when a rapid increase in blood sugar (and the corresponding increase in insulin) may be desirable. Example: after strenuous physical activity, insulin helps move glucose into muscle cells, where it can aid in tissue repair. Due to this, some trainers and coaches recommend high-GI foods (such as sports and recovery drinks) immediately after exercise to speed recovery.Also, it's not just the Glycemic Index that leads to the increase in blood sugar. Equally important is the amount of the food that you consume. The concept of Glycemic Index combined with total amount intake is referred to as "Glycemic Load"(GL). GL = GI/100 x Net Carbs (Net Carbs are equal to the Total Carbohydrates minus Dietary Fiber) GI's of 55 or below are considered low, and 70 or above are considered high. GL's of 10 or below are considered low, and 20 or above are considered high. Conclusion, you can control your glycemic response by consuming only low-GI foods and/or by restricting your intake of high GI carbohydrates.
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Always take your Green Food |
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