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Glycemic Index

Glycemic Index

The foods we eat have a big impact on the hormones and other chemicals of your body. When these chemicals change it can make an impact on blood sugar which can effect health, weight and susceptibility to diabetes. The glycemic index of foods can be a good way to control and know what goes into your body.

The glycemic index, glycemic index chart or sometimes just known as GI, is basically a measure of the effects of carbohydrates on the body's blood sugar levels. When the body digests a food that has a high glycemic index, it is able to break down the food quickly and release glucose more rapidly into the blood. Inversely, when the body breaks down food with a low glycemic index it has a more gradual release into the bloodstream.

Low glycemic index foods have slower rates of digestion and absorption of the polysaccharides in the food, which means that there is greater extraction that takes place in the liver.

A low glycemic food has much lower impact on blood sugar levels, which is a positive factor in control of diabetes. Low Glycemic Index foods include most fruits and vegetables, besides potatoes and watermelon, grains, pastas, beans, milk and other foods low in carbohydrates. Foods with a medium Glycemic Index include whole-wheat products, basmati rice, and sweet potatoes. Foods with a high Glycemic Index include baked potatoes, watermelon, white bread, extruded cereals, white rice, and straight glucose.

Research has shown that foods that have high Glycemic Indexes are associated with increased risk of obesity. The theory is that foods with a high Glycemic Index cause a rapid rise in blood sugar and promote fat storage, especially when individuals have a sedentary lifestyle.

Glycemic Index

Many diets are based on the principle of the glycemic index chart, including the recently South Beach Diet. These diets promote eating foods that are low on the index in order to maintain a more stable blood sugar content and therefore reduce the chance for food to be used as fat storage.

One criticism that people have with this theory is that the glycemic index does not take other body factors into consideration. Normal metabolic responses, such as the release of insulin, is not considered and can actually be a better indicator than the glycemic index guides.

There are many different factors that are involved with the growing epidemic of obesity , and while the glycemic index chart can play a factor in overall health, there are much larger risk factors that people should consider. Physical inactivity plays a much larger role in obesity and should be the main focus of anyone trying to maintain or lose weight.