by Glycemic Index is the count of how much carbohydrates are there is any food and how it can raise the level of glucose in blood. This is basically a reference to the level of glucose in a food when compared to a staple such as white bread. A food which has a high glycemic index tends to increase the glucose more in the blood as compared to food which is low in glycemic index. Some of the types of food which have low glycemic index include legumes and dried beans. Fats and meat are not included in this study as they tend to not be any source of carbohydrates.
Some common foods which have a glycemic index of less than 55 include bread made up of pumpernickel and whole wheat, muesli, oatmeal, bulgur, barley, pasta, yam, lentils, sweet potato, converted rice, corn, non-starchy fruits, and vegetables. A food group which is considered in a GI range of 56 to 69 include quick oats, basmati rice, pita bread and couscous. Some example of foods with high glycemic index include pineapple, russet potato, white bread, macaroni, puffed rice, corn flakes, rice cakes and melons.
What influences GI?
As such there is one set of qualities in food which affect the GI, some of the general finding include:
- GI is high in processed foods, and as it is cooked for more time so does the GI Increase
- GI Increases when food which is processed is stored for a longer period of time
- The higher the GI of a fruit or vegetable, the more ripe it is
- Converted food items tends to have a higher GI than the original version of the food.
What are the other considerations?
While GI shows the person amount of carbohydrates a person is about to consume, it is hard to consider if the food will affect the amount of intake of carbohydrates. Portion size, therefore plays an important role in the diabetic persons food. The GI count of a food greatly varies which it is mixed with a food with lower or higher GI for that matter. Nutritious food that is extremely beneficial for the body, tends to have a higher GI count.
