Glycemic Index, or the GI Diet, is regularly discussed in the media, but did you know that for diabetics it can be a useful way of gaining control of blood sugar levels, and also helping you achieve a healthy weight?
What is Glycemic Index?
The Glycemic Index is a measure of the rise in our blood sugar levels, in the two to three hour period, after eating a specific food. In order to ‘score’ foods scientists use pure glucose as a reference point, giving it a GI score of 100. Foods that cause blood glucose (sugar) levels to rise quickly are given a higher GI score. Foods that cause a slow increase in blood glucose levels are considered to be low GI foods. The image below demonstrated this.
Why is Glycemic Index useful?
Most of us have experienced a drop in blood sugar levels at one time or another, when we start to feel tired, irritable, and increasingly hungry. Our bodies perform best when blood sugar levels are kept relatively constant, the Glycemic Index can help us to maintain these levels.
What are the limitations of the Glycemic Index?
While the Glycemic Index provides a very valuable tool for ranking carbohydrate foods, it does have it’s limitations, and I feel that it should merely be used as a useful aid to healthy eating, not the main focus of our eating habits.
There are a number of other factors which effect blood glucose levels, and this is one of the reasons why the Glycemic Index can appear complicated. These include:
- The other foods that are eaten at the meal.
- How ripe the foods are.
- Origin or variety of the food.
- Different makeup of our bodies and digestive systems.
Consider this example from Nutrition Data demonstrating how the GI can encourage overeating:
- Apple – GI of 38, weight 138g, Glycemic Load of 6 (low GL), calories 72
- Peanuts – GI of 14, weight 4oz, Glycemic Load of 2 (low GL), calories 500+
Most people would consider the apple to be a very healthy snack. However, if we look at the peanuts in terms of Glycemic Index, a serving not only weighs less than the apple, but has a much lower Glycemic index (14), and provides an even lower Glycemic Load (2). Based on Glycemic Load alone, you may be led to believe that the peanuts were a better dietary choice than the apple.
However, if you take a look at the calories contained in these foods, the apple contains approximately 72 calories, while the peanuts contain more than 500. Particularly, if you are trying to loose weight, choosing the peanuts would not be the best choice. Therefore, it is clear that Glycemic Index does have its limitations.
How can Glycemic Index help control your diabetes?
Choosing foods that have a low GI can help to reduce the rise in blood sugar levels after eating a meal. Particularly, if you are controlling your diabetes without medication, it is important to choose the correct foods in order to keep your blood sugar levels within the target range. Choosing more low GI foods can be a very helpful way to do this.
Foods with a low GI score have the added benefit of helping us feel more satisfied for longer (due to the higher fibre content), therefore reducing the likelihood of snacking on foods which are unhealthy, and causing the blood sugar levels to rise too rapidly.
Final thoughts on the Glycemic Index
Personally, I feel that the Glycemic Index can be difficult to use, as it is somewhat complicated, and does vary from person to person. However, using it in conjunction with a healthy balanced diet can assist your management of diabetes and/or controlling weight. My advice would be to use it as a guide to assist in your healthy eating plan, not another diet!
If you have any questions please contact me, I’ll do my best to answer them!
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