What is Glycemic Index

2006-04-30T17:49:00.000-07:00

What is the Glycemic Index?

The Glycemic Index, GI, is a scale that ranks carbohydrate-rich foods in order of how they affect body's blood sugar levels( glucose) compared to glucose or white bread. The GI of glucose is 100.

Not all the carbs have the same effect on body. After we eat, foods that contain carbohydrates, our blood glucose level rises with a speed called " Glycemic Response". Glycemic response is influenced by the amount of the food we eat, type of the food, and how the food is processed or prepared. When we eat a boiled potato, glucose levels spike in milliseconds. With legumes or fruits and vegetables, they go up in about 30 minutes. In general, the lower the glycemic response the better the quality of food. Foods that have lower Glycemic Response,Glycemic Index, cause only small fluctuations in blood sugar levels or insulin levels reducing the risk of coronary heart disease and diabetes in the long term and helping the body to maintain a healthy weight.

Glycemic Index Range
Carbs, based on their GI rank, are categorized to three groups, Low, Medium and High GI Foods.

Glycemic Index Range

55 or less	56 - 69	70 or more

What do the numbers mean?

o Low GI foods are foods with a GI less than 55. They cause a slower and
lower rise in blood glucose levels. Examples are Porridge, Apple and Sweet Potato.

o Intermediate GI foods are foods with a GI between 55 and 70. They cause
blood glucose levels to go up at a moderate rate. Examples are Pineapple, New Potato and Mango.

o High GI foods are foods with a GI greater than 70. They cause a rapid rise in
blood glucose levels. Examples are Jasmine rice, Cornflake and Watermelon.

How is the GI measured?
Firstly, a small group of volunteers are each given a serve of food that contains 50 grams of carbohydrate. Their blood glucose levels are measured every 15 minutes, for the next 2 - 3 hours. The results are then plotted on a graph and a computer program measures the size of the graph. The average response of the group to each food is then compared to the response to the standard (glucose) to create the GI.

See also:

What factors affect GI rating?

Glycemic Index Benefits

Glycemic Index Facts & FAQ

What is Glycemic Load?

How to apply a Low GI Diet

Low, Medium and Hi GI Foods at a Glance

GI Index

2006-04-30T17:16:00.000-07:00

BAKERY PRODUCTS	GI	Serve size	GL
Cakes
Angel food cake (Loblaw's, Toronto, Canada)	67	50	19
Banana cake, made with sugar	47±8	80	18
Banana cake, made without sugar	55±10	80	16
Chocolate cake made from packet mix with chocolate frosting (Betty Crocker, General Mills	38±3	111	20
Inc., Minneapolis, MN, USA)
Cupcake, strawberry-iced (Squiggles, Farmland, Grocery Holdings, Tooronga, Vic, Australia)	73±12	38	19
Lamingtons (sponge dipped in chocolate and coconut) (Farmland, Grocery Holdings, Australia)	87±17	50	25
Pound cake (Sara Lee Canada, Bramalea, Canada)	54	53	15
Sponge cake, plain	46±6	63	17
Vanilla cake made from packet mix with vanilla frosting (Betty Crocker, USA)	42±4	111	24
Croissant (Food City, Toronto, Canada)	67	57	17
Crumpet (Dempster's Corporate Foods Ltd., Etobicoke, Canada)	69	50	13
Doughnut, cake type (Loblaw's, Canada)	76	47	17
Flan cake (Weston's Bakery, Toronto, Canada)	65	70	31

The Glycemic Index Database - GI of Foods Listing

What is Glycemic Index

GI Index