Glycemic index of foods: how it affects health and weight loss

Glycemic Index – abbreviated GI – has become a fashionable concept that is used, in which plate you stick: “Health problems? Did you calculate the GI? "," Can't lose weight? Well, of course! With products with such a huge GI, what weight loss?! It is not surprising that many begin to feel dropped out of life if they are not on friendly terms with the powerful GI that filled the mind of modern man. Perhaps it's time to get acquainted with this mysterious Mr. X, who puts spokes in the wheels of our harmony.  Therefore, in order to fill the gap in the knowledge of those who are not yet familiar with the glycemic index of products, our portal will tell you in detail what it is and how important GI knowledge is for maintaining health and fighting excess weight.

Glycemic index of foods: what is it and what does it measure

In the dry language of Wikipedia, the glycemic index – it is a "measurement of the effect of foods" after eating them on blood glucose levels. That is, with the help of GI, you can find out how quickly or slowly carbohydrates from our food are absorbed by the body and, accordingly, increase blood sugar levels. The glycemic index is calculated in units from 0 to 100. The higher the index, the faster the food is digested, turning into glucose, and the faster we become hungry again.

Medical research confirms the benefit of a diet high in low GI carbohydrates in combating these "diseases of civilization" like obesity, diabetes, allergies, diseases of the cardiovascular system and even some neoplasms.

The term GI appeared in professional literature at the end of the last century. Since then, there have been many studies confirming the benefits of a diet high in low glycemic carbohydrates in combating these "diseases of civilization". like obesity, diabetes, allergies, diseases of the cardiovascular system and even some neoplasms. Interest in GI has increased so much that in some European countries its level is indicated on food packages!

Practical use of knowledge about the glycemic index of foods

The level of sugar in the blood (glycemia) depends on both the amount and type of carbohydrates we eat, so knowing the GI allows you to control the degree of glycemia, preventing hyperglycemia from occurring – when there is too much sugar in the blood. After all, the level of glycemia affects the well-being, physical and mental state of a person, appetite, not to mention the impact on health "for the future." In short and simple: if we do not want to face a bunch of diseases after some time, then today we need to take care of the GI of what we eat.

To make it easier for you to make a healthy menu, our portal has prepared a table of glycemic indexes of products, which you will find at the end of the article. Everything is very simple: the lower the GI of the product – the healthier it is. After all, foods with a high glycemic index contain digestible carbohydrates, which are quickly digested, causing blood sugar levels to rise sharply and then fall just as sharply, leading to hypoglycemia. This happens, for example, after eating popcorn. While foods with medium and especially low GI are digested slowly, and blood sugar levels also rise slowly, slightly.

Low GI Diet

The basis of the low GI diet – these are salads from raw vegetables and fruits, legumes, whole grain cereals rich in fiber, muesli with dried fruits, nuts. If bread, then from wholemeal flour, whole-cut. For lunch, you should cook red, wild or brown rice, durum wheat pasta, buckwheat or millet porridge, legumes: chickpeas, lentils, soybeans. Vegetables, pasta, cereals should be cooked to the state of Al dente (translated from Italian "to the tooth") – when the products are still hard enough, do not have time to boil. It is this degree of readiness of pasta, in particular, that allows you to eat a lot of it and not gain weight.

Factors affecting the glycemic index

To adequately assess the degree of the glycemic index of a product, many factors must be taken into account, since the rate of digestion of food and, accordingly, the level of blood sugar increase is affected by the type of sugars (simple or complex), and the chemical structure of carbohydrates, and the content of food in the product fibers, fats, proteins, and even the degree, temperature, cooking time of food. So, here are the main factors that affect the degree of the glycemic index of foods:

1. Type of raw materials, growing conditions, production, and in the case of vegetables and fruits – degree of maturity. For example, white rice – this is a product with a high GI: 70. But it is quite possible to replace it with the type of rice whose GI is lower: basmati, for example, – no more than 55. Changes the level of the index and the degree of ripeness of vegetables / fruits: for example, the GI of ripe bananas is much higher than unripe ones.
2. Degree of processing. Grinding, grinding destroy starch granules, which contributes to their rapid digestion, which means an increase in the glycemic index of the product. An example of over-processed food – white bread, corn flakes. The starch in them is almost completely "gelled", so almost all is digested. But carbohydrates from properly cooked spaghetti have a dense structure, which helps to reduce the enzymatic hydrolysis of starch, which, accordingly, is more difficult to digest. Even changing the shape of the product has an impact on the GI! So, potatoes, boiled and eaten in pieces, boast a lower (read: healthy) GI than mashed potatoes. A whole apple is also healthier than a shabby or "reworked" one. into apple juice.
3. Heat treatment. Temperature, duration of heat treatment can change the glycemic index of the product: white, traditionally cooked rice – 70, cooked to a state of sticky porridge-slurry – 90. As they say, feel the difference…During cooking, water and high temperature cause the starch to swell and turn into a gelled substance, which is easily broken down by the enzymes of the gastrointestinal tract and is quickly digested.
4. Fiber content. The effect of fiber on the GI level depends on its type: soluble fibers increase the viscosity of digested food, which slows down its movement along the gastrointestinal tract and weakens the action of gastric enzymes – accordingly, digestion also slows down. Low GI on face. Thus, as we said earlier, blood sugar rises slowly and slightly.
5. Fats slow down the evacuation of food from the stomach, thereby increasing the time of its digestion. Therefore, paradoxically, chips have a lower GI than baked potatoes. Even the same product can have different performance! For example, french fries made from frozen raw materials that absorb more fat, boast a lower index than the same fries made from fresh potatoes.
6. Protein. Food rich in protein affects the secretion of gastrointestinal hormones, which helps to reduce glycemia.
7. Carbohydrates. Actively contribute to the increase in blood sugar levels simple sugars – first of all, glucose and sucrose, i.e. the sugar that everyone has in the kitchen and whose GI is approx. 70. Index of products containing fructose, – OK. 19, lactose – OK. 46, so most fruits and dairy products have a low GI. But since usually most carbohydrates are not consumed separately, but as part of some dishes, the glycemic index can change.

Glycemic load and its effect on blood sugar

However, the level of increase in blood sugar depends not only on the now known to us GI, but also on the gray cardinal for the present GG – let's call it like this (GL– glycemic load) – glycemic load (or load – as you like). He talks about the amount of carbohydrates contained in the products. For example, if you eat the same amount of food with the same GI, but with different amounts of carbohydrates, then your blood sugar will be lower after eating a food with a lower carbohydrate content.

In addition to GI, experts also identify GG – glycemic load, which also affects blood sugar levels. If the GI indicates how quickly carbohydrates are converted into glucose, then the GG indicates how much glucose was formed in the blood.

GG is calculated in this way: the amount of carbohydrates contained in the product in grams, multiplied by GI and divided by 100. As a result, we have that a watermelon with a GI of 72, but with only 4 g of carbohydrates in one medium piece, has a low GG – total 3: (4 x72): 100 = 2.88. Therefore, watermelons in moderation do not raise blood sugar levels. What can not be said about a banana of the same weight, whose GG – as much as 12, even though the glycemic index of bananas is lower than that of watermelons: 52 versus 72!

The gradation of HG in foods in terms of health benefits is as follows:

• low level – less than 10,
• medium – 11-19,
• high – over 20.

Of course, it is not easy to calculate the optimal menu, taking into account the GI and GG already known to us. Plus, we must remember that the same product, eaten at different times of the day, can affect blood sugar levels differently. But isn’t health, a beautiful, toned body and a blooming appearance, the prospect of staying young and strong for a long time, seeing your great-grandchildren, and possibly great-great-grandchildren, not worth spending time and finally determining what, how, how much, with what and when need to eat? Costs. Of course it's worth it!