Glycemic Alert
Women eating the highest glycemic load diets were much more likely on average to develop type 2 diabetes or heart disease compared to women of the same age with the lowest glycemic load diets ?
Bombarded with scary statistics about weight gain, diabetes, high cholesterol and heart disease, it can seem overwhelming to start revamping your diet — or even worse, very hard to find reliable dietary advice. If you feel frozen into inaction due to all the conflicting dietary theories out there, I recommend starting with the basics: understanding the glycemic index scale, glycemic loads of different common foods, and learning about how these both impact everything from your cravings and energy to weight and concentration.
Fate Of Carbohydrates
When people eat a food containing carbohydrates, the digestive system breaks down the digestible ones into sugar, which enters the blood.
Carbohydrate metabolism is important in the development of type 2 diabetes, which occurs when the body can’t make enough insulin or can’t properly use the insulin it makes.
What Is the Glycemic Index?
When it comes to how quickly we metabolize different carbohydrates, it all begins with the glycemic index and glycemic loads of different foods. The definition of the glycemic index (GI) is “a measure of the blood glucose-raising potential of the carbohydrate content of a food compared to a reference food (generally pure glucose, or sugar).”
In very simple terms, a food’s GI measure (or GI score) tells you how quickly the food is converted into sugar once you eat it. However, responses to eating certain carbohydrates can be very different from eating others, depending on factors like how much sugar they contain, how processed they are, their fiber content and what other types of foods you pair them with.
There’s a glycemic index number for virtually every food out there.
Things like meat, oils and fats have a GI of zero, since they contain no carbs.
Carbohydrate-containing foods fall into different GI categories based on scientific measurements of glucose in the blood before, and then after, consuming each food. Generally speaking,
-When you eat foods high on the glycemic index scale, you experience a faster, more significant increase in your blood glucose level.
-When you eat foods lower on the GI, the increase in blood sugar is slower and more sustained. This process has an affect on how you feel after eating the food, including how satisfied or full you are, how quickly you get hungry again or experience cravings for more more, and how much of a lift in energy the food tends to provide you with.
All foods containing glucose, fructose or sucrose (various forms of carbohydrates or sugars) can be classified as high GI, moderate GI or low GI.
The glycemic index ranges from 0–100:
High GI = 70 to 100
Medium GI = 50 to 70
Low GI = below 50
Meaning Behind the “Glycemic Load” of Different Foods
The glycemic index of a food only tells part of the story, which is why the glycemic load is also important. Even when it comes to eating only complex carbs or only simple carbs, blood glucose changes due to eating one type can be quite different than when eating another type. This is where the glycemic load comes in: The glycemic load (GL) takes into account the GI score of a particular carbohydrate but also considers how the carbs in the food affect blood sugar levels when eaten in average portions (plus the scores change when eaten with other foods as part of a complete meal).
GL is determined by how much carbohydrate is in an individual serving of a food.
The glycemic load is determined by multiplying the grams of a carbohydrate in a serving by the glycemic index number, then dividing the total by 100. The end result is a glycemic load score that’s a better predictor of whether or not a food eaten in moderate amounts is healthy or not.
High GL = 20 +
Medium GL = 11 to 19
Low GL = 10 or less
Just like with GI scores, the higher a food’s glycemic load ranking, the more dramatic the blood glucose increase is and therefore more insulin is needed. The opposite is also true: The lower the food or meal is on the GL scale, the slower the blood glucose increase is and less insulin is needed by the body to return blood sugar to stable levels.
Many of the fruits and vegetables that are high on the GI scale come in low on the GL scale. This shows why GL is a more accurate representation of which carbohydrates are healthy for blood sugar levels and which are not. On the other hand, most processed, fake foods come in high on the GI andhigh on the GL — a good indication you want to avoid them.
You should avoid processed foods for numerous reasons; this is just one more!
Glycemic Index and Glycemic Load Chart
We’ve been taught that simple carbs are not the best choices and instead we should eat more complex carbs in their place. It now seems like common knowledge that things like table sugar and soda are unhealthy and likely to lead to weight gain in excess amounts, but are all high glycemic foods necessarily bad choices?
When it comes to carbohydrates, there are basically two types: simple carbs and complex carbs. And they’re not necessarily as clear-cut as you might think. Let’s explore examples of both types to find out more:
Simple carbohydrates: These consist of foods that contain one or two simple sugars. Foods like table sugar, candy, jam and chocolate are all simple carbohydrates and, as you can see, not the healthiest food choices. But there are also simple carbohydrates like apples, strawberries, peaches and more that are not so bad at all for you.
Complex carbohydrates: These are foods that consist of long chains of simple sugars. Foods such as oatmeal, bran, wheat germ and more are examples of complex carbohydrates.
Years ago, before the glycemic index and glycemic load chart came along, it was basically assumed that foods that were simple carbs were to be avoided and foods that were complex carbs were to be chosen. But as you can see by just the few listed examples of simple carbs, this isn’t really true. For example, even though it’s a fruit, an apple or pear is considered to be high on the GI scale. However, because there’s little carbohydrates in a piece of fruit based on an actual serving size, it makes it a low ranker on the GL scale and still a healthy choice.
4 Benefits of Eating Low-Glycemic Foods
1. Helps Normalize Blood Sugar Levels
There are many reasons why you should be concerned about living with consistently high blood sugar levels. The first is increased insulin production. When glucose levels in the bloodstream rise, the hormone insulin is produced and secreted. Insulin has the role of bringing glucose out of the bloodstream and into cells in order to be used for energy.
The higher the level of glucose in your blood, the more insulin is released in order to bring things back to balance. Therefore a high amount of insulin being released leads to a sudden and sharp drop in blood glucose levels. This is referred to as hypoglycemia, which can follow high blood sugar spikes, causing symptoms like low energy dips, trouble concentrating, mood swings and sudden hunger. Eating foods lower on the glycemic index helps prevent this from happening, as it results in less amounts of insulin needed by the body in order to maintain homeostasis.
2. Lowers Risk for Insulin Resistance and Type 2 Diabetes
It’s now believed that high glucose levels and excessive insulin production (which go hand in hand with high glucose levels) are precursors to developing dangerous side effects of insulin resistance, including type-2 diabetes.
3. Keeps Your Energy Levels and Appetite Stable
It’s possible to experience symptoms of both hyperglycemia and hypoglycemia when blood sugar levels aren’t properly managed. Over time, these come with complications and tend to cause many uncomfortable symptoms — including fatigue, sugar cravings, changes in blood pressure, weight loss or gain, nerve damage, and jitteriness or nervousness.
You might notice that when you only eat simple carbs (such as sugary cereal for breakfast) and don’t get enough fiber, you’re quickly tired and hungry afterward. On the other hand, eating balanced meals — such as those that include a healthy complex carb, a source of protein and some healthy fat — helps keep you more satisfied, energized and focused throughout the day.
4. Reduces Your Risk for Diseases Through Lowering Intake of Processed Foods
Processed foods, and especially ultra-process foods, made with lots of added sugar and flour, for example, are usually the highest on the glycemic index. Therefore if you aim to lower the GL of your diet, you’ll automatically cut out lots of empty calories.
To reduce the glycemic load of your diet, experts recommend making some of the following changes:
Consume unprocessed or ancient whole grains, but lower intake of flour and white refined grains.
Eat more beans, legumes, nuts and seeds, especially in place of processed grains.
Eat smaller amounts of potatoes, rice, or other grains and bread. Instead consume more veggies to feel just as satisfied.
Reduce or avoid sugary foods like soda, cookies, cakes, candy, other desserts and sweetened drinks.
Precautions Regarding a Low-Glycemic Diet
Keep in mind that we need some carbohydrates, specifically unprocessed types, for things like energy and muscular strength. We all know the infamous saying, “An apple a day keeps the doctor away.” Apples, peaches, strawberries and other whole foods that have sugar or carbs in them are in fact healthy foods offering an abundance of nutrients the body needs. So to avoid all simple carbs as a strict rule would mean eliminating these and other healthy simple carbs from your diet.
This is where the glycemic index and the glycemic load may become complicated, but they don’t have to be. Nutritionists, doctors, scientists and researchers realized that there are simple carbs that are good for you and complex carbs that can cause unhealthy responses in the body. When it comes to deciding which foods are best, keep things simple by using common sense and choosing those that are the least processed. Fruits, ancient whole grains, sweet potatoes, etc., don’t need to be removed from your diet — it’s all about balance and eating real foods.
There are many charts, scales and measurements when it comes to foods we should eat and ones we should avoid. If you follow my recommendations to eat plenty (and a variety of) real foods and avoid fake foods, then you won’t have to pay too much attention every time a new scale or chart makes the news. You’ll be eating from nature, just the way your body was intended to!
Disclaimer:Please take a doctor's opinion before starting your dose!
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Your Well-wisher,
Dr.Insiya
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