Show sabyna75/Thinkstock The glycemic index, simply put, is a measure of how quickly a food causes our blood sugar levels to rise. The measure ranks food on a scale of zero to 100. Foods with a high glycemic index, or GI, are quickly digested and absorbed, causing a rapid rise in blood sugar. These foods that rank high on the GI scale are often — but not always — high in processed carbohydrates and sugars. Pretzels, for example, have a glycemic index of 83. Meanwhile, foods with a low GI are digested and absorbed at a slower rate, and subsequently, cause a slower rise in blood sugar levels. These are typically rich in fiber, protein and/or fat. Examples of these include apples with a glycemic index of 28, Greek-style yogurt at 11 and peanuts at seven. Keep in mind that a low GI doesn't mean a food is high in nutrients. You still need to choose healthy foods from all five food groups. Glycemic Index: An Imperfect System, but Useful ToolA food's GI ranking only applies when a food is consumed on an empty stomach without any other type of food. As anyone who's ever eaten food knows, this isn't always how we eat. Pair a high GI food with a lean steak or a piece of salmon, a side of broccoli and a salad with vinaigrette, and the protein, fiber and fat all will serve to lower the glycemic index of the meal. In addition, the glycemic index doesn't take into account how much we're actually consuming. The GI value of a food is determined by giving people a serving of the food that contains 50 grams of carbohydrate minus the fiber, then measuring the effect on their blood glucose levels over the next two hours. A serving of 50 grams of carbohydrate in one sitting may be reasonable for a food such as rice, which has 53 grams of carbs per cup. But for beets, a GI ranking of 64 is a little misleading since beets have just 13 grams of carbs per cup; we would need to consume nearly 4 cups of beets in order to cause that spike in blood sugar levels. An Alternative to Glycemic IndexGlycemic load, or GL, is a formula that corrects for potentially misleading GI by combining portion size and GI into one number. The carbohydrate content of the actual serving is multiplied by the food's GI, then that number is divided by 100. So for a cup of beets, the GL would be: 13 times 64 = 832 divided by 100 = a GL of 8.3. As a frame of reference, a GL higher than 20 is considered high, between 11 and 19 is considered moderate, and 10 or less is considered low. The bottom line: Even though the glycemic index isn't a perfect system, it can be a useful tool to identify lower-glycemic foods that often are more nutrient-dense, as well as what foods are higher in refined carbohydrates. Freshly PickedExplore...Find Nutrition ExpertsNeed serious help making a plan? The nutrition experts in our professional membership are ready to help you create the change to improve your life. Find a Nutrition Expert The glycemic index is a scale that ranks the number of carbohydrates in foods from zero to 100, indicating how quickly a food causes a person’s blood sugar to rise. Foods high on the glycemic index (GI) can cause harmful blood sugar spikes in people with diabetes. High GI foods also make it more challenging for a person to maintain a healthy weight. This is why some people with diabetes use GI to plan their meals. A nutritious, balanced diet includes a wide range of foods, so a person is not limited to consuming just low GI foods. However, knowing where a specific food rests on the GI can help a person make healthful choices. In this article, learn more about GI, as well as about high and low GI foods.
The GI provides information about how the body digests carbohydrates using a scoring system of zero to 100. Pure sugar has a score of 100. Nutrition experts used to classify carbohydrates as either complex or simple. For example, table sugar is a simple carbohydrate, while beans and grains are complex carbohydrates. While researchers once believed that complex carbohydrates were less likely to cause blood glucose spikes, further research found that the relationship between carbohydrates and blood glucose is more complex. GI accounts for this complexity by ranking foods according to how quickly they elevate blood sugar. To assess GI, researchers gave volunteers without diabetes a test food that contained 50 grams (g) of carbohydrates. On a different day, they gave participants a control food, such as white bread or sugar, that has the same amount of carbohydrates. They then compared blood sugar levels at regular intervals for both foods, which means GI is simply a way to compare the effect of various foods on blood glucose. The higher a food’s GI is, the more rapidly it elevates blood glucose. A high GI food can cause blood sugar spikes, followed by rapid declines in blood sugar. As blood sugar declines, a person may feel hungry. Eating only high GI foods can cause a person to overeat since they will quickly feel hungry again after eating. Eating a diet with a low average GI may reduce a person’s risk of developing diabetes and heart disease. In people who already have chronic conditions, a low GI diet may reduce the risk of complications and prevent blood glucose spikes. Share on PinterestWhole fruit typically has a lower GI score than fruit juice.The GI scores are as follows:
The Glycemic Index Foundation suggest that aiming for an average dietary GI score of 45 may offer the most significant health benefits. This does not mean that a person can only eat foods with a GI score of 45 or lower. Rather, a person should balance their intake of higher GI foods by eating foods with a lower GI. It is important to note that the GI of a specific food is an estimate. Several factors can affect the GI of a given food:
Foods with a higher GI include:
The GI can help a person make healthful decisions about their overall diet and nutrition. People with diabetes, those trying to lose weight, and people at risk of heart disease can reap significant benefits from a low GI diet, though the benefits extend to everyone — not just people with chronic illnesses. Eating a low GI diet does not have to mean avoiding all high GI foods. Instead, a person’s goal should be to stay balanced over time, with a strong focus on fiber-rich foods with a low GI. A doctor or dietitian can help with planning a delicious and nourishing diet that features a wide variety of low GI foods. What is the best definition of glycemic index?The glycaemic index (GI) is a rating system for foods containing carbohydrates. It shows how quickly each food affects your blood sugar (glucose) level when that food is eaten on its own.
Which of the following is the correct definition of glycemic index quizlet?The glycemic index is a ranking of foods according to how much they raise blood sugar when a specific amount of the food is eaten alone. Each food's effect on blood sugar is compared to a standard food's effect (such as white bread).
What is the glycemic index and how is it measured?The glycemic index (GI) is a concept that ranks the glycemic potency of foods (1). It is calculated as the incremental area under the curve (iAUC) for blood glucose after consumption of a test food divided by the iAUC of a reference food containing the same amount of carbohydrate.
What is glycemic index examples?GI scale examples
low GI (less than 55) – examples include soy products, beans, fruit, milk, pasta, grainy bread, porridge (oats) and lentils. medium GI (55 to 70) – examples include orange juice, honey, basmati rice and wholemeal bread.
|
Which of the following is the correct definition of glycemic index?
Related Posts
Copyright © 2024 SignalDuo Inc.
