Glycemic Index

Why in the news?

A recent scientific study has revealed the relationship between the Glycemic Index in food to the risk of Type II diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.

About Glycemic Index (GI)

• Definition: GI is a measure of how quickly a carbohydrate-containing food raises blood sugar levels after it is consumed.
  • The index ranks the carbohydrate-rich foods on a scale of 0 to 100 based on their ability to raise blood sugar levels as compared to pure glucose (which has a GI of 100).
• Proposed by: Prof. David Jenkins of the University of Toronto in 1981.
• Factors that determine GI: The GI of a food is determined by various internal factors like amylose, lipids, protein, phytic acid, dietary fibre, resistant Starch etc. and external factors like cooking, processing, retro-gradation, soaking and germination.

About Glycemic Load (GL) 

• Glycemic Load (GL): It uses GI and the amount of total Carbohydrates in a serving of a specific food to estimate how quickly and how much blood sugar will rise after its consumption.
• Calculation: The GL of a food, is obtained by multiplying the quality of carbohydrate in a given food (GI) by the amount of carbohydrate in a serving.

Link between GI and Human Health 

• Complications for people with diabetes: High GI foods cause rapid fluctuations in blood sugar levels, which may strain the body's ability to produce insulin or utilize it effectively.
  • Focus on low-GI foods can improve blood sugar control and overall diabetes management.
• Issues to Cardio Vascular Health: Diets rich in GI lead to weight gain, higher triglyceride levels and blood pressure in the body thereby making the individual susceptible to Cardiovascular complications in the long run.