The gylcemic index is a numeric scale that indicates the rate at which the body converts different foods into glucose and how quickly those foods increase blood glucose levels. The scale ranges from 0 to 100 – the higher the number, the more readily a food converts glucose, the more likely a blood sugar spike.
Diabetes and the Glycemic Index
Glucose is the body’s primary fuel but the body functions best when blood glucose levels are constant. Diabetics, especially, need to keep their levels constant. In a type 2 diabetic, a sudden spike in blood glucose causes the pancreas to release more insulin. Too much insulin can cause a hypoglycemic attack. In both type 1 and 2 diabetics, repeated blood glucose spikes can cause damage to the tissues.
Glycemic Index Diet
Eating foods with a low glycemic index means a slower rise in blood glucose, enabling the body to better manage glucose levels. There are several resources on the web, such as www.glycemicindex.com [1] with food charts and other information. A glycemic index diet is now without drawbacks. Not all foods have glycemic information, and you have to determine the glycemic index of each food as well as something called glycemic load – the amount of the food needed to affect blood sugar.
In many cases, a diabetic would do well to follow a modified glycemic diet. Rather than keep lists of individual foods a a diabetic can use the FDA food guide pyramid for portion information and consume lower glycemic foods by following these few simple rules: