What is Glycemic Index?

 

 

Glycemic index, Glycaemic index, or GI

The glycemic index (GI) measures the effects carbohydrates have on blood glucose levels. Processed carbohydrates which are easily digested and are quickly sent to the bloodstream possess a high GI while those carbohydrates from complete food, which takes a longer time to be digested and therefore takes a longer time to reach the bloodstream, possess a low GI. Low GI foods bring much benefits to a lot of people. In 1980 -1981 Dr. David I Jenkins together with his colleagues conceived this idea while carrying out research on the most suitable foods for diabetics.

Lower Glycemic Index

A glycemic index which is lower seem to be due to slower digestion as well as absorption of carbohydrates. It can also mean more extraction of nutrients by the liver. With lower glycemic index, the need for insulin is sometimes lower, improving blood glucose level as well as blood lipids in time to come. As insulin index quantifies the typical response of insulin to a food, it can be useful.

 

What is Glycemia Index – Advanced Nutrition -Video Guide

A particular food’s glycemic index is the region beneath the 2 hour blood glucose response curve (AUC) immediately after eating a certain amount (normally 50 grams) of carbohydrates. The AUC of this test food has to be divided by the standard AUC, the standard food being either glucose or white bread, and the derived figure multiplied by 100. The information collected from ten human participants gives you the average GI value. For an accurate result, the test food as well as the standard must have the same amount of carbohydrates. From the results collected, every tested food gets a relative ranking.

The present accepted methods has chosen glucose to be the standard food, and so 100 is its glycemic index value. This has world-wide acceptance and it gives about 100 as the maximum GI values. White bread can also be used as the standard food with a dissimilar batch of GI values (if white bread’€™s GI value is 100, then glucose’s GI value is 140). If your basic regular source of carbohydrates is white bread, you have the advantage of comparing a replacement food directly with it to know whether the replacement would bring faster or slower response to blood sugar. However, there are disadvantages with the standard food not explained sufficiently and the scale for glycemic index so dependent upon culture.

*** Posted By Natasha A.Nada ***