The Glycemic Index (GI) of a meal is an indicator of how fast your blood sugar will rise with a given diet containing carbohydrates. The glycemic index is given as a number related to the blood sugar's impact while consuming glucose.
When you ingest a carbohydrate in your meal, the body transforms carbohydrates into a form of sugar known as glucose. Glucose reaches the body and increases blood glucose levels.
Foods that are rapidly digested have the largest GIs. In comparison to low GI foods, take a while to absorb and gradually pump insulin into the bloodstream. Low GIs are under 55, while high GIs is 70 or more.
The GI of a meal relies primarily on the type of carbohydrate that it contains — the more fiber it yields, the slower it digests. Lower GI foods typically produce more fibers, more protein, and often more fat.
In comparison to low-glycemic foods, high-glycemic foods lead to a faster and higher rate of blood sugar. For a few reasons, these spikes are considered unhealthy.
· Increase your average levels of blood glucose.
· Put higher demands on your body for insulin.
· They lead to severe blood glucose drops after the surge, which can lead to nausea, food cravings, and fatigue.
Some Myths About GI Foods:
"Eating lower GI foods will undoubtedly help many people — especially because many of the low glycemic index foods appear to be higher in protein and/or fiber as well as in nutrients. Eggs are one food of low glucose and 6 grams of high-quality proteins like choline, lutein, and zeaxanthin," says Amy Gorin, MS, RDN, founder of Amy Gorin Nutrition.
Here is another important hype: it's a common misunderstanding that all sugar-based foods have a high GI.