What is the Glycemic Index? Foods known to be low or high GI

Editorji_news
English
2021
00h : 02m : 24s

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You might have read about the ‘Glycemic Index’ as part of a dietary guidance or on food packages, but what does it really mean? In the simplest words, the glycemic index (GI) is a ranking measurement of how quickly a food causes our blood sugar levels to rise.   The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) ranks different foods on a scale of one to 100, and at the top sits pure glucose at 100 as a point of reference.   The Glycemic Index Foundation (GIF) classify the foods into three GI categories. Foods ranked 55 or below are considered low glycemic, 56-59 is marked as medium GI and anything above 70 is believed to be high GI.   Low GI foods are digested and absorbed at a slower rate. They are generally rich in fibre, protein and/or fat. Some examples of low GI foods include apples (28), vegetables like spinach, celery, cucumber and tomatoes (15) as well as peanuts (21) and lentils (41).  Foods that are placed high on the GI scale are often, but not always, loaded with processed carbohydrates and sugars. A few famous examples of high GI foods include white bread (79), corn flakes (77), fruits like watermelon (72) and pineapple (66) as well as dried fruits such as dates (100).  While there’s no need to jump the gun and only eat low glycemic foods, the ranking helps people choose foods based on their dietary needs and control how much sugar and carbohydrates they are consuming in their diet. At the end of the day, a well-balanced diet packed with all essential macro and micronutrients is better than any diet fad!