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Looking To Find Glycemic Index Makes Choices Better
Maintaining a healthy blood glucose level is extremely important for persons with diabetes and for many years it was always taught that foods containing sugar was harmful. However, one of the aspects of controlling the amount of sugar in the blood stream that was often overlooked is that carbohydrates break down into sugar and that some carbohydrates break down faster than others do. Today, it is possible to find glycemic index information on a variety of foods.
Almost everyone knows that carbohydrates turn into sugar in the body when food is digested and absorbed. Recent research has shown that some starches cause an almost immediate rise in blood sugar levels while others have a limited effect. Resulting from this research, studies have been able to help people find glycemic index figures on many foods and some have returned surprising index numbers.
The numerical system indicates how much a specific carbohydrate affects the circulating blood sugar and a higher number indicates a higher blood sugar response. Typically, if you find glycemic index numbers of 70 or higher, it is considered high. A glycemic index of 56 to 69 is considered medium and 55 or less is low. Caution is required, however as you find that finding glycemic index only relates to how fast the carbohydrate enters the blood, it does not reveal how much of that carbohydrate is in the food.
Glycemic Index And Load Considered Together
While analyzing foods for their carbohydrate content, research will find glycemic index numbers are sometimes higher than the actual number of carbohydrates contained in the food. A glycemic load of 10 or less is considered low, while 11 to 19 is medium and 20 or higher is high. By using the glycemic index in conjunction with glycemic load, better decision can be made about eating healthy in regards to blood sugar levels.
For example, if you research a vanilla cake made with a popular brand mix with vanilla icing you find glycemic index of 46, which is considered low on the scale. However, that same slice of cake will have a glycemic load of 24, which is considered high. While the speed at which the carbohydrates enter the blood stream as glucose may be slower than other foods, there is a considerable amount of that carbohydrate available.
During the popularity of low-carb diets many people mat have lost a few pounds, but they were also missing out on the proper nutrition contained in many of the foods they eliminated. For those with diabetes it is important to find glycemic index numbers as well as the glycemic load of a specific food to make the right choices.
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