The Glycaemic Index or G.I. diet has been in the news recently but what does GI mean and how is it helpful for weight management and blood sugar control? Read on to find out more.
WHAT IS GI?
The glycaemic index is a way of measuring how quickly a food causes the blood glucose (sugar) level to rise after we have eaten it. All foods that contain sugar or starch (carbohydrate) are broken down in the gut into glucose. The glucose is then absorbed into the blood stream causing the blood glucose level to rise.
The glycaemic index measures how quickly the glucose level in the blood starts to rise. If a food has a high GI then glucose from that food will be absorbed quickly and blood sugar level will start to rise quickly.
Foods that have a low GI are slowly absorbed and the blood sugar level rises more slowly and gradually.
COMPLEX CARBOHYDRATES AND REFINED CARBOHYDRATES
Complex Carbohydrates. The concept of GI was first discovered in the 1980’s. Prior to this it was thought that foods such as brown bread, brown rice and whole grains were absorbed slowly and therefore led to a gradual increase in blood glucose. Thus often called complex carbohydrates
Refined carbohydrates. Foods that had been through more processing such as white bread, sugar and flour were thought to be absorbed more quickly and cause the blood glucose level to rise more quickly.
More recent research has shown that things aren’t quite so straightforward!
The GI has shown that some sugary foods like chocolate are quite slowly absorbed (GI 44) and some foods that you might expect to be slowly absorbed like wholemeal bread have a high GI (GI 77) And are absorbed quickly.
Other things that affect how quickly foods are absorbed include;
The amount of fat and protein in the food
The difference between our individual bodies and digestive systems,
How well we chew our food,
How the food is cooked,
How ripe foods are
The other foods that are being eaten at that meat
HOW CAN GI HELP WITH BLOOD SUGAR CONTROL?
Choosing foods that have a low GI can help to slow down and reduce the rise in blood sugar levels after eating.
If you are controlling your diabetes with lifestyle changes (with or without tablets) choosing more low GI foods as part of your healthy lifestyle can help you to get your blood sugar level into the target range.
Foods with the highest GI are sugary drinks such as cola, lemonade and fruit juice, these drinks cause the blood sugar to rise very quickly
DRINKS WITH A VERY HIGH GI ARE THE BEST TREATMENT FOR A HYPO!
If your blood sugar level goes below 4mmol/l this is called a hypo. If this happens you should treat it immediately with something that increases blood sugar levels very quickly such as b>Lucozade, cola, pure orange juice or dextrose tablets.
HOW CAN GI HELP WITH WEIGHT MANAGEMENT?
Foods and meals with low GI release sugar more slowly into the blood. For some people this helps you to feel satisfied for longer after the meal. This can mean that you feel less hungry between meals and are able to have fewer snacks and eat less.
