Glycemic Index

The glycemic index indicates how quickly carbohydrates are absorbed into the blood.

Foods with a low glycemic index (GI) are absorbed less quickly and produce fewer high blood sugar spikes. The blood sugar levels also fluctuate a lot less. This reduces the risk of hypo, hyper and other complications of diabetes.

Foods with a low or medium glycemic index (GI) are often recommended for people with diabetes because they help keep blood sugar levels more stable. The GI of a food is expressed as a number from 0 to 100. A GI less than 55 is low, from 55 to 70 is medium, and greater than 70 is high.

Measuring the glycemic index

The increase in blood sugar after eating 50 grams of carbohydrates from the product being measured compared to the increase in blood sugar after the same person eats glucose determines the glycemic index. The GI of glucose is 100.

Glycemic load

The glycemic index does not take into account the amount of carbohydrates in a product. Therefore, the glycemic load (GL) has been added to the table. This represents the effect on blood sugar of a serving of a product. Roughly speaking, a GL greater than 20 is high, an average value is between 10 and 20, and a GL less than 10 is low.

Factors affecting the glycemic index

  • The glycemic index is influenced by many factors that make the GI higher or lower. For example, by:

  • Meal Composition. A combination with fats, proteins and/or dietary fiber allows the food to stay in the stomach longer. As a result, the carbohydrates enter the blood more gradually and are absorbed more slowly by the body, lowering the GI.

  • Preparation method. Cooking, baking and frying each have a different effect on the glycemic index.

  • Duration of preparation. The longer you cook or fry a product, the higher the GI.

  • Size of the product. The more often you chew or the smaller the product is cut or ground, the higher the GI.

  • Stomach emptying and bowel function. This is very personal. The higher the rate at which your stomach empties, the higher the GI. And the faster your intestines work, the higher the GI.

  • Temperature. Cold foods and drinks have a lower GI than the same product but warm.

Glycemic index is a tool

The glycemic index is primarily intended as a tool for comparing different carbohydrate-rich products. In theory, it shows which foods cause blood sugar to rise quickly and which ones cause blood sugar to rise more slowly. It is better to look at the entire diet and especially at the quality of the carbohydrates.