Glycemic index is a quantitative way to measure how sugar affects the body. Foods are rated on how fast they enter the blood stream. They are given a "score" or glycemic index, somewhere between 1 and 100, 100 being the carbohydrates are converted to sugar almost immediately. Glucose is given a score of 100 because it is the body's ideal energy source; all sugars are converted to glucose before they are used for energy. The glycemic index is then converted to a glycemic load based on how many grams of carbohydrates the food contains. The larger the portion or the more concentrated source of carbohydrates their is, the higher the glycemic load.
| food | carbohydrates | x | glycemic index | ÷ | 100 | = | glycemic load |
| 12 oz. regular cola: | 40.5 | x | 90 | ÷ | 100 | = | 36.4 |
| fresh apple (medium) | 21 | x | 54 | ÷ | 100 | = | 11.3 |
| 2 Tbsp. agave nectar | 32 | x | 30 | ÷ | 100 | = | 9.6 |
When searching for a healthy food, consider the glycemic index or glycemic load. White or processed carbohydrates have higher indexes, and whole grains rank lower so they have less effect on blood sugar levels. Also, when carbohydrates are combined with proteins or fats, their efffect on blood sugar levels is decreased.
Glycemic Index of some commonly eaten foods.
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1 comment:
Is there a way to determine the glycemic index of a food by looking at the label?
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