The Glycemic Index

Carbohydrates have a glycemic index value. This value can help you determine how much sugar is being released into your bloodstream. Take note that the energy obtained from carbohydrates are converted into glucose and is transported into body cells through your blood. Insulin, on the other hand, is a hormone coming from the pancreas and this allows glucose in the blood to be transported into the body cells and store it as glycogen. When you consume carbohydrates like fruits and grains, these break down into glucose. This can cause your blood sugar levels to spike and excessive glucose will then be sent to your liver where it will be turned into fat.

Carbohydrates that breakdown fast can be easily absorbed into the bloodstream and this can give cause the levels of insulin to rise, while carbohydrates that breakdown slowly is absorbed gradually, thus preventing the blood sugar level to spike. Foods that contain high amount of glucose have higher glycemic index value as well. Some of these foods are rice cakes and white bread. Foods with low GI value have slowly digested starch and these foods include beans and pulses.

In the past years, it was found that using the glycemic index as an indicator is not enough to take into account the amount f carbohydrates in each food. The GL or the glycemic load of food that has high GI but with low amount of sugar in them has low glycemic load as well, thus making it considerable for your diet. Take watermelon for example. Watermelon has high GI value but contains low amount of carbohydrates. It was once a food that should be avoided but because it has low carbohydrates, it can now be included in your meals. GL or glycemic load, if you are not familiar of it, is the amount of carbohydrates available in a certain food.

There are other important factors that can influence the release of sugar into your bloodstream from certain foods. Some of these factors are the following:

• The nature of the starch contained in foods.
• The nature of the monosaccharide components.
• The amount of protein and fat contained in it.
• The food itself and the cooking preparation.

The nature of the starch in foods affect the glycemic index value of it as the fiber forms a gelatinous gel, thus delaying the emptying of the stomach and lowering the glycemic index value. This means the higher amount of fiber contained in food the lower the GI value is. A whole apple contains higher amount of fiber compared to the juiced ones. Cooking the grain more can break its cell walls and this can improve the process of digestion.

Various studies have shown that foods with low glycemic index value have lots of benefits for those suffering from diabetes. This is due to the amount of glucose in the bloodstream as well as the duration of the blood sugar levels’ elevation. Classification of foods in GI can help consumers make the best and healthiest food choices. Familiarizing yourself with the foods that has low GI value can help you prevent various medical conditions like cancer and diabetes. It can also help enhance your sports performance, cognitive performance and appetite control. If you want to stay healthy, then you have to make sure that you are following a healthy diet. This means you should consume foods with low glycemic index alone and that you do not overlook the foods that you consume. Keeping fiber in your diet can also help you maintain a healthy body. However, in order to reduce your craving for sugar, make sure that you add foods with chromium into your meals.