Ahh, the addicting and delicious items that fall into the category of foods known as sugar and carbohydrates. They are mine, and many others Achilles’s heel. On the up side, they are essential for you to consume in order to create glucose. Glucose is your body’s fuel, and without fuel your car (er, your body) ain’t going nowhere. Especially those of you who are athletes or work out a lot, it is important to eat the right foods and keep glycogen levels up for recovery and repair. To do that means you actually need to eat foods a bit higher on the glycemic index. With that said, one of the single most important factors in reducing your risk of diabetes, keeping a healthy weight, and managing blood sugar and insulin levels is keeping those sugar and carb numbers in check. Those numbers are reflected in what you may have heard referred to as glycemic index or glycemic load. Not only can excess intake of high GI/GL foods cause diabetes and obesity especially in non-active or genetically prone individuals, recent studies suggest spiked blood sugar and insulin levels can also contribute to other maladies including acne, eczema, psoriasis, and other inflammatory conditions. So what is glycemic index, and what is glycemic load? How do we know what foods are good for us to consume, and others not so much? And what foods are ok for certain kinds of people, and not others. If all of this seems a tad confusing, you’re not alone. That’s why I am here to break it all down for ya!
What is Glycemic Index?
The glycemic index of a carbohydrate-containing food is a ranking of how much it raises blood glucose level compared to pure glucose, which is assigned a glycemic index value of 100. (For a list of the glycemic index value of hundreds of foods, go to www.glycemicindex.com.) According to the GI Group of the University of Sydney, in Australia, a glycemic index value of 70 or higher is considered high, 56—69 is considered medium, and 55 or lower is considered low. High-glycemic foods digest and absorb into the bloodstream quickly, which causes large, rapid changes in blood sugar levels. Low-glycemic foods digest and absorb more slowly, which produces gradual rises in blood sugar and insulin levels. Here’s a chart that lists the GI of some popular foods:
What is Glycemic load?
Glycemic Load (GL) is a measure of both the quality (the GI value) and quantity (grams per serve) of a carbohydrate in a meal. A food’s glycemic load is determined by multiplying its glycemic index by the amount of carbohydrate the food contains in each serve and dividing by 100.
In general, a serving of food with a glycemic load of 1—10 is considered to have a low glycemic load, 11—19 is a medium glycemic load, and 20 or higher is a high glycemic load. The table “Same Carbohydrate, Different Glycemic Load” shows the glycemic load for a variety of portions of foods.
Foods with a low glycemic load keep blood sugar levels consistent, meaning that you avoid experiencing the highs and lows that can be caused by blood sugar that jumps too high and quickly drops — the candy bar effect.
Watching the glycemic load of the foods you eat can have a big impact on your health in many ways. A diet focused on foods with a low glycemic load can:
- Make it easier to lose weight and avoid the dreaded diet plateau
- Keep blood sugar levels more consistent
- Burn more calories
- Help prevent insulin resistance and diabetes
- Lower heart disease risk
“It makes more sense to use the glycemic load instead of just the glycemic index because when you eat a food you don’t just eat one food by itself — you eat a whole bunch of foods together. Looking at the total picture of foods you eat, rather than just the individual pieces, gives you a clearer and more accurate picture of the foods that make up your diet.
It’s tough to figure out on your own if a food has a high or a low glycemic load, but as a general guideline, the more fiber a food has the better. Here is a glycemic load reference list with many common foods to let you know which are low, medium, and high.
Foods with a low glycemic load of 10 or less:
- Kidney, garbanzo, pinto, soy, and black beans
- Fiber-rich fruits and vegetables, like carrots, green peas, apples, grapefruit, and watermelon
- Cereals made with 100 percent bran
- Lentils
- Cashews and peanuts
- Whole-grain breads like barley, pumpernickel, and whole wheat
- Whole-wheat tortillas
- Tomato juice
- Milk
Foods with a medium glycemic load of 11 to 19:
- Whole-wheat pasta and some breads
- Oatmeal
- Rice cakes
- Barley and bulgur
- Fruit juices without extra sugar
- Brown rice
- Sweet potato
- Graham crackers
Foods with a high glycemic load of 20 or more:
- High-sugar beverages
- Candy
- Sweetened fruit juices
- Couscous
- White rice
- White pasta
- French fries and baked potatoes
- Low-fiber cereals (high in added sugar)
- Macaroni and cheese
- Pizza
- Raisins and dates
Both GI and GL measurements are useful. Glycemic load helps you select appropriate portion sizes, while glycemic index helps you differentiate between good and bad carbohydrate choices. The lower each number, the less it affects blood sugar levels.
And while looking at the glycemic index is a good indicator of how much a certain food will spike your blood sugar, glycemic load is actually a better indicator because it takes everything into consideration.
A few things to keep in mind when taking into consideration the GI or GL of a particular food:
*A general rule of thumb for remembering which carbohydrate-containing foods have a lower glycemic index is the less processed a food is, the lower its glycemic index is likely to be.
*Fat alone or in combination with protein does not raise blood glucose, so foods such as butter, margarine, oil, and meat do not have a glycemic index value. When fat is combined with carbohydrate, it tends to lower the glycemic index value of the food, since fat slows digestion. This is why potato chips have a lower glycemic index than boiled white potatoes – and this in turn is an illustration of why a food’s glycemic index value is not the only the only thing to consider when deciding what to eat.
*Choosing foods that are lower in saturated fat and higher in monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids is important for heart health, regardless of glycemic index. Examples of healthier fats and fatty foods include olive oil, canola oil, liquid margarine, nuts, and avocado.
*The glycemic index of a food vary slightly from person to person, and also depends on whether the food is eaten in isolation or with other foods. Consuming a food along with protein, fat, or other carbohydrates that have a lower glycemic index effectively lowers its glycemic index value. Other things that can affect a food’s glycemic index value include the ripeness of fruits (underripe fruits have a lower glycemic index than ripe fruit) and how foods are cooked or otherwise processed.
Focusing on the glycemic index and glycemic load of foods is particularly important for people with diabetes, high blood sugar, insulin resistance, heart/high triglyceride issues, or any other inflammatory issue like acne to help maintain a steady blood sugar, but everyone can benefit from understanding and monitoring the glycemic load in their diet.
Lowering your glycemic load has been shown to make a difference in blood glucose levels, weight control, and prevention of heart disease. Best of all, the benefits you reap can help you feel good and have more energy to do the things you enjoy.
Hopefully this helps you a bit more with understanding what GI and GL are, and how they can help you make better food choices and take control of your health. Knowledge is power, especially when it comes to your nutrition!
Prana Gaze 