The glycemic index measures the quality of carbohydrate foods, based on how they affect your blood sugar. In the index, pure glucose is given a score of 100. That number doesn’t mean anything in itself, it’s simply a reference point based on the effect it has on your blood sugar two hours after eating. The other foods in the index are given a number relative to this. Foods with a high index number break down quickly and cause drastic fluctuations in blood sugar, and those with a low number do the opposite.
The glycemic index was originally developed to help diabetics control their blood sugar. Studies were made of blood sugar responses to common foods in healthy people to compile the index. It lists mainly carbohydrate foods, because protein and fat have little immediate effect on blood sugar. The index is also useful to those dealing with weight problems and other health issues.
A low index diet is healthier because it includes more fresh fruit and vegetables, fiber and dairy products than many people have in their diets. These are all foods that offer essential nutrients, tend to be lower in calories and stave off hunger for longer. http://www.dietingdoit.com
It isn’t necessary to focus on the numbers themselves. Rather, it’s more important to note whether foods have a low, medium, or high index. This is because there are exceptions to the rules that underlie the index. For example, watermelon has a high index number of about 75. However, in spite of its high index, watermelon has a low glycemic load. That measure is based on the amount of food you actually consume, not just an arbitrary quantity used in testing, as with the index. http://www.dietingdoit.com
Instead of being wrapped up in lots of numbers, experts recommend looking generally at the foods in the index and focusing on the low end. Numbers over 70 are considered high index and below 55 low. Anything between 55 and 70 is medium.
High index foods include breakfast cereal, white bread, potatoes, ice cream, and table sugar. Low index foods include cherries, grapefruit, broccoli, lentils and beans, and most dairy foods. Without having to keep track of specific numbers, you can see a low index diet is bound to do you good.
Unfortunately, there’s not one, single standardized index list. Most indexes include brand-name items that people buy on a typical shopping trip, as well as generic foodstuffs like vegetables and fruits. This means that you may need to find a list that relates to where you live. http://www.dietingdoit.com
Other factors also influence blood sugar response to foods. Combining foods into meals can change their impact. High fiber vegetables have low glycemic indexes and act to reduce the effects of higher rated foods. The cooking method you use also makes a difference. For example, cooking rice for longer frees sugar from starch and increases its index.
The index is a recent idea. Before it was devised, nutritionists divided carbohydrates into complex and simple forms. This is based on chemical structure. Complex carbohydrates are starch, and simple carbohydrates are sugars. It was assumed that complex carbohydrates took longer to digest and absorb. Therefore, they were thought to be preferable for diabetics as slow absorption avoids a sudden rise in blood glucose. However, it has been found that some simple carbohydrates have a lower index number than many complex carbohydrates. http://www.dietingdoit.com
There can also be major differences between closely related foods, for example, in different types of bread. The idea that complex carbohydrates are better for you is being replaced with the concept that low index foods may be better than high index foods in particular food categories.
By itself, the index number of a food doesn’t make it good or bad. Some high index foods are still an important part of your diet, and some low index foods aren’t particularly healthy. Although the index number of a food is important, it is only one factor to be considered when you’re looking at nutritional value
Source: http://www.ArticlePros.com/author.php?Bryce Roadley
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