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GLYCEMIC INDEX

What is the Glycemic Index?

The glycemic index is a ranking of carbohydrates based on their immediate effect on blood glucose (blood sugar) levels. It compares foods gram for gram of carbohydrate. Carbohydrates that breakdown quickly during digestion have the highest glycemic indexes. The blood glucose response is fast and high. Carbohydrates that break down slowly, releasing glucose gradually into the blood stream, have low glycemic indexes.

What is the Significance of Glycemic Index?

	• Low GI means a smaller rise in blood glucose levels after meals
	• Low GI diets can help people lose weight
	• Low GI diets can improve the body's sensitivity to insulin
	• High GI foods help re-fuel carbohydrate stores after exercise
	• Low GI can improve diabetes control
	• Low GI foods keep you fuller for longer
	• Low GI can prolong physical endurance

What is Glycemic Load?

• Glycemic load builds on the GI to provide a measure of total glycemic response to a food or meal

• Glycemic load = GI (%) x grams of carbohydrate per serving

• One unit of GL ~ glycemic effect of 1 gram glucose

• You can sum the GL of all the foods in a meal, for the whole day or even longer

• A typical diet has ~ 100 GL units per day (range 60 - 180)

• The GI database gives both GI & GL values

How to Switch to a Low Glycemic Index ?

• Use breakfast cereals based on oats, barley and bran

• Use "grainy" breads made with whole seeds

• Reduce the amount of potatoes you eat

• Enjoy all types of fruit and vegetables (except potatoes)

• Eat plenty of salad vegetables with vinaigrette dressing

For more information, go to the Glycemic Index Website

COMMON GI QUESTIONS

Q: Some vegetables appear to have a high GI. Does this mean a person with diabetes should avoid eating them?
A: Definitely not, because, unlike potatoes and cereal products, these vegetables are very low in carbohydrate. So, despite their high GI, their glycemic load (GI x carb per serve divided by 100) is low. Vegetables contain only small amounts of carbohydrate but loads of micronutrients and should be considered as "free foods". Eat them all you like!

Q: Some high fat foods have a low GI. Doesn't this give a falsely favorable impression of that food?
A: Yes it does, especially if the fat is saturated fat. The GI value of potato chips or french fries is lower than baked potatoes. Large amounts of fat in foods tends to slow the rate of stomach emptying and therefore the rate at which foods are digested. Yet the saturated fat in these foods will contribute to a much increased risk of heart disease. It is important to look at the type of fat in foods rather than avoid it completely. Good fats are found in foods such as avocadoes, nuts and legumes while saturated fats are found in dairy products, cakes and biscuits. We'd all be better off if we left the cakes and biscuits for special occasions.

Q: Do I need to eat low GI foods at every meal to see a benefit?
A: No, because the effect of a low GI food carries over to the next meal, reducing its glycemic impact. This applies to breakfast eaten after a low GI dinner the previous evening or to a lunch eaten after a low GI breakfast. This unexpected beneficial effect is called the "second meal effect". But don't take this too far, however. We recommend that you aim for at least one low GI food per meal.

Q: Most breads and potatoes have a high GI. Does this mean an end to my favorite foods?
A: Potatoes and bread, despite their high GI, can play a major role in a high carb/low fat diet, even if your goal is to reduce the overall GI. Only about half the carbohydrate needs to be exchanged from high to low GI to derive health benefits. Of course, some types of bread and potatoes have a lower GI and these should be preferred in order to lower the GI as much as possible.

Q: Why not just adopt a low carbohydrate diet (like the Atkins diet) to keep my blood glucose levels and weight down?
A: Recent studies show that low carb diets such as the Atkins diet produce faster rates of weight loss than conventional low fat diets. The probable mechanism is lower day-long insulin levels - allowing greater use of fat as the source of fuel - the same mechanism underlying the success of low GI diets. We believe that low carb diets are unnecessarily restrictive (bread, potato, rice, grains and most fruits are restricted) and may spell trouble in the long term if saturated fat takes the place of carbohydrate. Low GI diets strike a happy medium between low fat and low carb diets - you can have your carbs, but must choose them carefully.

Q: Does the GI increase with serving size? If I eat twice as much, does the GI double?
A: The GI always remains the same, even if you double the amount of carbohydrate in your meal. This is because the GI is a relative ranking of foods containing the "same amount" of carbohydrate. But if you double the amount of food you eat, you should expect to see a higher blood glucose response - ie, your glucose levels will reach a higher peak and take longer to return to baseline compared with a normal serve.

Q: I have recently been diagnosed with celiac disease (gluten sensitivity) on top of diabetes. It's extremely hard to find both low GI and wheat-free foods. Any suggestions?
A: This is not as hard as you may think? If you like Asian food - Indian dahls, stir-fries with rice, sushi, noodles - you're in luck, because they are all low GI. Choose vermicelli noodles prepared from rice or mung beans and low GI rices such as basmati. Use sweet potato instead of potato, use all manner of vegetables without any regard for their GI. Choose fruits and dairy for their low GI. If you can tolerate dairy products, then take advantage of them for their universal low GI. If lactose intolerance is a problem, reach for live cultured yoghurts and lactose-hydrolysed milks. Even ice-cream can be enjoyed if you ingest a few drops of lactase enzyme first.

Glycemic Loads-Word Format
Glycemic Loads-PDF Format

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