Understanding Glycemic Index (GI): The Key to Healthy Eating

Knowing the ins and outs of nutrition has become critical in today’s fast-paced environment when making health-conscious decisions has become important than ever. The glycemic index (GI) is a simple yet effective tool among the many that you may use to assess how food affects our bodies.

Nutritionists, exercise enthusiasts, and anybody concerned about their health frequently praise the GI for providing an insightful look at how different foods impact our blood sugar levels.

The glycemic index is helpful for anyone managing diabetes or athletes fine-tuning their performance diets since it provides guidance and information about what foods to eat.

But what exactly is the glycemic index, and why does it matter?

In this in-depth article, we’ll explore the realm of GI, discussing its meaning and importance in contemporary nutrition and how knowing more about it may help us take control of our health.

What is the Glycemic Index?

To understand what is GI, we need to go through the process of digestion in out body. Let’s comprehend it in a simple way:

• We consume carbohydrates through foods and drinks
• Digestive system breaks carbs into simple sugars, known as glucose
• The bloodstream carries simple sugars into our body’s cells
• Insulin hormone facilitates the uptake of glucose into cells from the blood
• Glucose enters a cell, and gets “burned” to create energy
• Excess glucose is transformed into glycogen, which raises blood glucose levels

Carbohydrate Breakdown —> Simple Sugars (Glucose) —> Carries Sugar to the Cells —> Glucose Used to Produce Energy —> Transforms Excess Glucose into Glycogen —> Glycogen Raises Blood Sugar Level

Thus, GI is the process that tells us whether food raises blood glucose levels quickly, moderately, or slowly^[1].

For example, white bread, fries, potatoes, and instant noodles are high in GI, which means that they will quickly raise your blood glucose levels. Contrarily, oats, lentils, chickpeas are low-GI foods that will raise your blood glucose levels slowly.

#1 Takeaway: Low-GI foods are healthier compared to high-GI foods.

Pure glucose or white bread, which has a GI of about 100, is typically used as the reference for the GI index, which ranges from 0 to 100^[2].

GI’s Impact on Digestion and Satiety

1. Satiety (Sense of Fullness)

Comparatively speaking, foods with a low GI digest and release glucose into the circulation more slowly than those with a high GI.

The body receives a continuous and reliable energy supply over an extended period from this slow release of glucose.

Low-GI foods may, therefore, aid in controlling hunger and promote a lasting sensation of fullness or satiety.

2. Digestion

The glycemic index also impacts  the digestive process of food items, determining how quickly they are broken down and absorbed into the bloodstream.

Foods with a low glycemic index (GI) release glucose gradually and steadily because they digest more slowly, thus aiding in healthy digestion^[3].

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3. Energy Supply

Low-GI foods provide a continuous supply of glucose that promotes constant energy levels free from sudden swings, which may help to preserve overall metabolic balance^[4].

4. Enhanced Nutrient Absorption:

As low-GI foods take longer to break down and assimilate, slower digestion may improve the body’s ability to absorb nutrients ^[5].

5. Gut Health

The controlled release of glucose from low-GI foods may encourage a healthier gut environment by fostering more stable conditions for gut bacteria.

This way, understanding the GI of foods will help you decide which foods are the best to consume.

#2 Takeaway: Opting for low GI foods will give you a feeling of fullness, maintain a healthy gut, boost your digestion, and ultimately provide you with a Happy Tummy feel.

GI scores

Foods that fall into distinct GI ranges are referred to as “low GI,” “medium GI,” and “high GI.” These ranges and a few sample foods are as follows^[6]:

According to the Glycemic Index Foundation, the most significant health advantages may come from aiming for an average dietary GI score of 45. This does not imply that people should limit their diet to only items with a GI of 45 or below^[7].

Instead, consuming foods with a lower GI will help one balance out their intake of foods with a higher GI.

You can opt for Aashirvaad Sugar Release Control Atta that combines the flavour and richness of whole wheat flour, pulse, and legumes. With 0 percent added sugars, this atta is a perfect way to regulate the rate of sugar release in your body and prevent its abrupt spikes!

If you are confused about how to increase your intake of low-GI foods, refer to our insightful article on Low GI Foods.

What Affects The GI Of Food?

The following aspects influence a food’s GI^[8]:

• the amount of macronutrients, such as fat and protein
• the amount of fibre
• sugar and starch varieties
• the food’s ripeness
• methods for processing, preparing, and cooking
• the food’s physical form
• anti-nutrients in food, which are compounds that may prevent the body from absorbing nutrients

Meal Planning with the Glycemic Index

• Distinguish between “faster” and “slower”-releasing carbohydrates to maintain more stable blood sugar levels and fine-tune your eating habits.
• Plan your meals by selecting foods with a low to medium GI.
• You can prefer to consume high-GI foods with low-GI foods to balance the impact. For instance, consuming milk with cornflakes, a product with a higher GI, will lessen the meal’s overall impact on blood glucose levels.

Are you still unsure about what foods have a low GI? For a 45-minute consultation and a personalized nutrition plan made just for you, give our certified nutritionist a call.
Make an appointment with the nutritionists and dieticians.

Following that, you can ask the nutritionist any questions you may have almost regarding any health concern.

Glycemic Index vs. Glycemic Load

GI is a good indicator but it does not tell how high your blood sugar might rise after consuming a specific food per serving.^[9]

Here, Glycemic Load ( GL) comes into picture!

It will tell how a dish will affect your blood sugar in daily life.

For instance, watermelon has a high glycemic index (80). However, watermelon has a glycemic load of only five carbohydrates per serving.This is because of low GL that you can consider eating watermelon even if you have diabetes.  However, you need to seek expert advice if you want dietary plans to manage blood sugar levels.

#3 Takeaway: For diabetes management and suitable dietary behaviors, one needs to consoder both GI and GL as GI might not show the whole story!

GL= GI*Carbohydrates/100

A GL of less than ten is considered low, and one above 20 is high.^[10]

Also, it would be best to consider other factors besides the glycemic index or load when deciding what to eat.

#4 Takeaway: A food’s low glycemic index does not imply that you should eat much of it. Minerals, vitamins, and calories are still crucial. Also, your specific health conditions should be considered.

Read our comprehensive article on “High GI Foods: Managing Blood Sugar Spikes” article to get an idea of foods that might lead to blood sugar spikes.

The Last Say

A person may make wise choices regarding their general diet and nutrition with the assistance of the GI. A low GI diet may be highly beneficial for persons with diabetes, those who are attempting to lose weight, and those who are at risk of heart disease, while the benefits are not limited to those with long-term conditions.

Eating a low-GI diet does not have to mean avoiding all high-GI foods. Instead, a person should maintain balance throughout time, emphasizing low-GI, high-fiber diets. A doctor or dietitian may help plan a delicious and nourishing diet with various low-GI foods.

Frequently Asked Question