Our bodies feel really drained and weak whenever we experience a dip in our blood sugar levels. This is what is known as a sugar crash.
The glycemic index is a way to rank foods according to the effect that they have on a person’s blood glucose levels; especially in regards to carbohydrates. Foods that are high in fat or protein don’t cause your blood glucose level to rise much. It measures how much a 50-gram portion of carbohydrates raises the blood-sugar levels compares with a control; either white bread or pure glucose.
The reactionary increase in a person’s blood sugar is known as the glycemic response. There are many factors that affect this, including the type of food that is eaten as well as its preparation technique.
Each food in the glycemic index is assigned a number that ranges from 1 to 100. 100 is the reference score for pure glucose. Foods that are considered high, score greater than 70, moderate foods rates from 56 to 69 on the index and foods are considered low if they score less then 55. For instance, pretzels have a score of 81 on the glycemic index so they are considered high. A fruit cocktail is considered medium with a rate of 55 and broccoli is considered low with a rate of 15.
After the food is measured and compared with a control, it is given a rating that ranges from one to one hundred. According to the glycemic index chart, foods that rate between seventy to one hundred, such as pretzels, are high glycemic index foods. Those that rate between fifty-six to sixty-nine, such as fruit cocktail, are moderate glycemic index foods and those that rate between one to fifty-five, such as broccoli, are low glycemic foods.
Low glycemic foods have the beneficial effect of digesting the food in a gradual manner, thus insulin in the body is also released gradually. Because of the slow rise in blood sugar levels, the sensation of fullness is protracted as well. This is how eating low GI foods make you lose weight, because you ultimately eat less.
Researchers assumed in the 1980?s that the human body absorbed and digested simple sugars quickly, producing rapid increases in blood glucose level leading to the assumption to avoid sugar. But now scientists understand that simple sugars don’t cause the blood glucose to rise any more rapidly then some complex carbohydrates do. But, simple sugars are still empty calories and should still be minimized. With regular exercise, little saturated or trans fat, and a high-fiber diet the glycemic index helps keep the average person at a healthy weight.
