A type 2 diabetes epidemic is really gaining momentum in many developed and newly industrialized countries.  How can knowing the glycemic index (GI) of food containing carbohydrate help you with controlling diabetes?

Since 1981 it has been known different foods containing carbohydrates do not react the same, as far as blood glucose levels following a meal are concerned.  The GI measures the quality of a carbohydrate,  which means the effect of a carbohydrate in comparison to a standard amount (50g) of a reference food, which is glucose.  With pure glucose there is no digestion required before it enters the bloodstream.  When you eat 50g of glucose, your blood sugar levels rise in a really predictable manner: fast and high.

Foods containing carbohydrates which break down quickly during digestion, have what is known as a high-GI rating.  Low-GI foods break down much more slowly and tend to affect blood glucose levels the same way.  Therefore less insulin is required by the body to bring down the levels.

Now carbohydrate foods are classified into:

1. Low-GI which is equal to or less than 55 per cent, and is the recommended GI

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2. Medium-GI which is equal to 56-59 per cent

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3. High-GI 70 per cent or more and is not recommended

The lower the GI the less it raises your blood sugars. 

It is recommended to include at least one low-GI carbohydrate food per meal.  This could be:

• Breakfast: Oats

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• Lunch: Wholemeal bread

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• Dinner: Basmatic rice, pasta, sweet potato or corn.

It’s also important to know the glycemic index is not the same for:

• everyone

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• every meal.  It depends on what else is in the meal and how well a food is cooked.  The more a food is cooked the faster it is absorbed and the higher your blood sugar levels following the meal.

You may lower your levels following a meal if you choose:

• dense and chewy wholemeal breads

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• breakfast cereals made with oats

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• pasta more often than potatoes.  Pasta al dente keeps blood sugars down more than soft overcooked pasta.

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• long grain rice raises blood sugars less than short grain rice

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• sweet potatoes or new potatoes rather than baked or mashed potatoes

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• lima, kidney beans, soybeans, chickpeas or lentils

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• plenty of non starchy vegetables and fruits

A common mistake many people make when following a low-GI diet is to eat large quantities.  Even if it is a low-GI food you will not be able to eat too much of it: your sugars and weight will not improve. 

The glycemic index is another tool for type 2 diabetics to use to keep blood sugars in the target range following their meal.

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1 Comment »

1. [...] Original post by admin [...]

   Pingback by Type 2 Diabetes - What About the Glycemic Index? | Discuss Diabetes | Low-GI | if you do the low-gi diet you need supplementing — April 25, 2009 @ 11:53 pm

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