I am sure you have already heard about the glycemic index and how it is supposed to be the best prevention for diabetes and other cardiovascular problems. However, despite its attributes, most people cannot relate to it.
Plus, the way a particular food ranks on the glycemic index can vary depending on several things. Things like the way that food is grown, processed or cooked can lower or raise the glycemic index numbers. Also, food responds differently depending on how much a person eats, each person’s own metabolic make-up, and how we combine foods.
Plus, there are some inconsistencies in how the glycemic index was calculated. Some experts say that because the glycemic index is based on such a small quantity of food (50 grams) it is less than the amount a person would typically eat. Therefore, it understates the impact high-carbohydrate foods have on blood sugar, while overstating the impact of low-carbohydrate foods.
In response to this, doctors have introduced the concept of glycemic load. This new concept takes into consideration the amount of available carbohydrates in a particular food. These doctors say that the available carbohydrates give us energy.
Thus, the glycemic load is suggested as an alternative to the glycemic index as it takes into consideration how much the person eats and the way the food is paired as well.
The glycemic load is derived from the following formula: (glycemic index )/100 x (available carbohydrates).
A glycemic load of 20 or more is high. A glycemic load of 11 to 19 is medium and a glycemic load of 10 or less is low.
For instance, take a one hundred and twenty gram watermelon with a seventy-two glycemic index as an example of calculating glycemic load. Thus, we divide seventy-two by one hundred and multiply it by six (the number of available carbs in the watermelon). The result is four point thirty-two, therefore making it low in glycemic load.
Mastering both glycemic index and loads makes it clear why we have to have a variety of food groups in our meals. For instance, because ice cream has protein as well as fat as its ingredients, it is lower in glycemic index and load than Cheetos.
The glycemic index on its own can be a useful way to make appropriate food choices and some prefer it over other methods such as counting carbs. So even though the glycemic index has its shortcomings, it continues to offer information on how to keep insulin resistance at bay.
