The Glycemic Index & The Glycemic Load Diet |
What is the Glycemic Index (GI)?The glycemic index ranks foods on how they affect our blood sugar levels. This index measures how much your blood sugar increases in the two or three hours after eating.
The glycemic index is about foods high in carbohydrates. Foods high in fat or protein don't cause your blood sugar level to rise much.
A lot of people still think that it is plain table sugar that people with diabetes need to avoid. The experts used to say that, but the glycemic index shows that even complex carbohydrates, like baked potatoes, can be even worse.
When you make use of the glycemic index to prepare healthy meals, it helps to keep your blood sugar levels under control. This is especially important for people with diabetes, although athletes and people who are overweight also stand to benefit from knowing about this relatively new concept in good nutrition.
Recent studies of large numbers of people with diabetes show that those who keep their blood sugar under tight control best avoid the complications that this disease can lead to. Most experts agree that what works best for people with diabetes—and probably the rest of us as well—is regular exercise, little saturated or trans fat (partially hydrogenated oils), and a high-fiber diet.
The recommendations to exercise and eat more fiber and less saturated and trans fats is excellent advice—as far as it goes. The real problem is carbohydrates. The official consensus remains that a high-carbohydrate diet is best for people with diabetes. However, some of the experts, led by endocrinologists like Dr. Richard K. Bernstein, recommend a low-carbohydrate diet, because carbohydrates can raise blood sugar to dangerous levels.
But not all carbohydrates act the same. Some are quickly broken down in the intestine, causing the blood sugar level to rise rapidly. These carbohydrates have a high glycemic index
Below I have included the Glycemic Index in two forms plus the glycemic load diet. First you will find a basic index with foods rated as Low glycemic, Medium, High and Very High. Next you will find the Glycemic Load chart.Then the second Glycemic index chart which includes many packaged and prepared foods with the glycemic index displayed numerically.
The Glycemic Index Chart
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Fruits
Apple ……………..medium
Apricots …………..medium
Avocado ………….med/high
Banana ………….med/high
Blackberries ……...low
Blueberries …….....low
Cantaloupe …….....low
Cherries …………...low
Cranberry Sauce ...high
Dates ……………...high
Figs (raw) ………....high
Grapefruit ………....low
Grapes………...…..medium
Guava……………...medium
Honeydew melon ...low
Kiwi fruit…………...low
Mango……………..med/high
Nectarine ………....medium
Lemon or Lime …..medium
Orange …………....medium
Papaya …………...high
Peach ……………..low
Pears ……………...low
Pineapple ………...low
Plum ……………....low
Prunes …………….medium
Raisins……………..high
Raspberries………..low
Strawberries……....low
Tangerine……….....medium
Watermelon……….medium
Vegetables
Alfalfa sprouts…….low
Artichoke………….low
Asparagus………...low
Bamboo shoots…..low
Bean sprouts……...low
Beets (canned)…...medium
Bock choy………...low
Broccoli…………...low
Butternut Squash...medium
Brussels sprouts…low
Cabbage…………...low
Carrots………….….high
Cauliflower………...low
Chili pepper………..low
Celery……………...low
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Vegetables, continued
Cucumber…………low
Collards……………low
Corn………………..high
Eggplant………….. low
Endive…………….. low
Green beans……… low
Hummus………….. low
Kale……………….. low
Leeks……………… low
Lentils…………medium
Lettuce……………. low
Mushrooms………. low
Mustard greens….. low
Onion……………… low
Okra……………….. low
Parsnips………….. high
Parsley……………. low
Peas, green……medium
Pickles, dill……….. low
Pickles, sweet……. high
Poi…………………..high
Radish………………low
Salsa…………..….. low
Sauerkraut………… low
Snow peas………… low
Spinach……………. low
Summer squash........medium
Swiss chard……….. low
Turnip root…………. low
Turnip greens……... low
Tomato…………….. low
Zucchini……………. low
Breads / Starches
Bagel, plain………...high
Bagel, sweet………. high
Biscuit……………… high
Bread crumbs……... high
Bread sticks……….. high
Bread, white………...high
Bread, wheat………. high
Bread, low cal……... high
Bread, rye…………...high
Bread, pumpernickel. high
Bread, French…….... high
Buns……………….... high
Buns, reduced cal…. high
Cornbread…………... high
| Breads / Starches, continued
Croissant…………….high
Croutons, plain………high
Croutons. Seasoned..high
Dinner rolls………….. high
English muffin………. high
Pita pocket………….. high
Buckwheat………….. medium
Bulgur wheat……….. medium
Grits…………………. high
Cornmeal…………… high
Couscous…………… high
Egg noodles………… high
Flour, wheat………… high
Flour, rye……………. high
Hominy……………….medium
Kashi………………… medium
Macaroni……………. medium
Millet………………….high
Muffins, blueberry….. high
Noodles……………… medium
Oat bran…………….. high
Oatmeal…………….. medium
Pancakes…………… high
Pasta………………… medium
Popcorn……………. very high
Potato, baked……. very high
Potato, mashed…… very high
Potato, red, new…… medium
Rice cakes, plain… very high
Rice, brown……… med/high
Spaghetti, wheat…med/high
Sweet potato………med/high
Stuffing……………… high
Taco shell……………medium
Tortilla, corn…………medium
Tortilla, flour…………high
Waffles……………….high
Yam………………….med/high
Beans
Baked beans……….med/high
Black beans…………medium
Kidney beans………..medium
Lima beans…………..medium
Navy beans…………..medium
Pinto beans…………. medium
Refried beans………. medium
White beans………….medium
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The Glycemic Load Diet
Glycemic Load is a means of assessing the impact of Carbohydrate consumption on Blood Sugar. It is calculated by multiplying the amount of Carbohydrates (in grams) in a serving of Food by that Food’s Glycemic Index (%).
The Glycemic Load Chart
A Glycemic Load of 11 – 19 is regarded as medium.
A Glycemic Load of less than 10 is regarded as low.
The Glycemic Load of Selected Foods (Ranked from low Glycemic Load foods to high glycemic load foods).
- Avocado <1
- Cheese <1
- Chicken <1
- Eggs <1
- Fish <1
- Red Meat <1
- Strawberries (120 grams) 1
- Carrots (½ cup cooked) 1.5
- Peach (1 fresh) 3
- Green Peas (80 grams) 3
- Grapefruit (120 grams) 3
- Cashew Nuts (50 grams) 3
- Beetroot (60 grams canned) 3.2
- Pumpkin (85 grams, peeled, boiled) 4.5
- Watermelon (½ cup) 4.3
- Apricots (120 grams raw) 5
- Beetroot (80 grams) 5
- Oranges (120 grams, raw) 5
- Split Peas, yellow (90 grams, boiled) 5.2
- Apples (120 grams) 6
- Rye Kernel Bread – Pumpernickel (30 grams) 6
- Split Peas (150 grams boiled) 6
- Kiwi Fruit (120 grams) 6
- Sucrose (Table Sugar) (10 grams) 6.5
- Parsnips (75 grams, boiled) 7.5
- Lentils (½ cup cooked) 8
- Mango (120 grams, raw) 8
- Grapes ( 120 grams, green) 8
- Sweet Potato (80 grams, peeled, boiled) 8.6
- Bread (whole wheat, 1 slice) 9.6
- Chocolate (50 grams milk chocolate) 10.5
- Pasta - Tortellini, cheese (180 grams, cooked) 10.5
- Pasta - Ravioli, meat-filled (220 grams, cooked) 11.7
- Apple juice (250 ml) 12
- Parsnip (80 grams) 12
- Baked Potato (medium) 14
- Coca cola (250 ml) 15
- Bread – whole grain (2 slices) 15
- Pasta – Vermicelli (180 grams, cooked) 15.7
- Brown Rice (cooked, ½ cup) 16
- Potato (150 grams, mashed) 17
- Banana (1 medium) 17.6
- Pasta - Fettucini (180 grams, cooked) 18.2
- Grapefruit juice (250 ml, unsweetened) 20
- Bread – white (2 slices) 22
- Fanta (250 ml) 23
- Spaghetti (white, cooked, 1 cup) 23
- Bagel (70 grams) 25
- White Rice (cooked, 1 cup) 26
- Soft Drink (375 ml) 34.7
- French Fries (120 grams, small cut) 36.7
- Lucozade (250 ml) 40
- Dates (60 grams, dried) 42
- Potato (1 baked) 45
- Gnocchi (145 grams) 48.2
Health Benefits of a Low Glycemic Load Diet
Cardiovascular System
- A low Glycemic Load diet may reduce the risk of Ischemic Heart Disease.
Immune System
- A low Glycemic Load diet may reduce the risk of Colon Cancer.
- A low Glycemic Load diet may help to prevent Endometrial Cancer.
- A low Glycemic Load diet may reduce the risk of Ovarian Cancer.
Metabolism
- A low Glycemic Load diet may help to prevent Diabetes Mellitus Type 2 and may lower elevated Blood Sugar in Diabetes Mellitus Type 2 patients.
Toxic Effects of a High Glycemic Load Diet
Cardiovascular System
- A high Glycemic Load diet may increase the risk of
Ischemic Heart Disease.
Immune System
- A high Glycemic Load diet may increase the risk of Colon Cancer.
- A high Glycemic Load diet may increase the risk of Endometrial Cancer.
- A high Glycemic Load diet may increase the risk of Ovarian Cancer.
- A high Glycemic Load diet may increase the risk of Stomach Cancer.
Metabolism
A high Glycemic Load diet may increase the risk of Diabetes Mellitus Type 2 and may increase Blood Sugar in Diabetes Mellitus Type 2 patients.
A high-Glycemic Load diet lowers HDL Cholesterol levels.
A high-Glycemic Load diet lraises LDL Cholesterol levels.
A high-Glycemic Load diet increases serum Triglycerides levels.
Glycemic Load vs. Glycemic Index
The Glycemic Index provides information only about how rapidly a particular source of Carbohydrates is converted to Blood Sugar. It does not provide information about the QUANTITY of Carbohydrates in that Food source of Carbohydrates.
Glycemic Load takes both the Glycemic Index and the quantity of Carbohydrates in a particular Food source of Carbohydrates into account.
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