The glycemic index (IG) is a concept that can appear both in the description of a slimming diet and in the diet of a diabetic. What is the glycemic index (IG)? What does its value depend on? Which products have a low and which have a high glycemic index? Check what are the rules of the diet in accordance with the glycemic index.

The glycemic index (IG)tells you how rapidly the blood glucose level rises after consuming a particular food. This is important because carbohydrates with the same sugar content may have different effects on glycaemia (blood sugar levels).

The high glycemic indexmeans that the carbohydrates absorbed during digestion will cause a sharp rise in blood sugar levels.Low glycemic indexhas little or no glycemic effect. The reference point for calculating GI is glucose - completely absorbed in the intestine, its glycemic index is 100.

The main source of energy for our body are carbohydrates. In the process of digestion, they are converted into glucose, which enters the blood and with it into the cells. The transport of glucose to cells is insulin, which, through special receptors, supplies it as an energy product necessary for life. Digestible carbohydrates called simple sugars - glucose, fructose, sucrose, m altose, lactose - are a real source of energy; non-digestible (dietary fiber) - cellulose, hemicellulose, pectins - after passing through the digestive tract, they are excreted.

Glycemic index - why do we need sugar

Sugars are the basic source of energy produced in the process of burning glucose, without which tissues cannot function. They should satisfy 55-65 percent. the daily energy requirement. Most (no less than 130 g / day) of the sugars you eat should be complex carbohydrates (uncleaned, high in fiber) found in whole grains (e.g. wholemeal flour), brown rice, peas, beans, lentils, and potatoes. Carbohydrates are absorbed into the blood as glucose. The absorption of complex carbohydrates is quite slow, and simple sugars are very fast - they are almost immediately digested and absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract as glucose, significantly increasing its concentration. The pancreas reacts with an ejection to the increase in glucoseinsulin. This hormone carries glucose from the bloodstream into the cells. If the rise in glucose is rapid, insulin is released in large amounts, allowing you to deal with the sugar quickly, but at this rate of absorption, the sugar level drops sharply, potentially causing reactive hypoglycaemia. This makes you feel hungry and reach for the next dose of sugar. A rapid spike in glucose is a large release of insulin from the pancreas. This constant overstimulation weighs it down and affects the metabolism of peripheral tissues: insulin stimulates them to absorb glucose and then to store it as fat, which causes weight gain. Complex carbohydrates do not cause blood glucose and insulin spikes, but they provide a feeling of fullness and energy, which is enough for 3-4 hours.

How does IG (glycemic index) work?

Food products are divided into 3 groups with a glycemic index:

  • low - below 55%;
  • middle - 55-69 percent;
  • high - from 70%

The index value depends on many factors. In the case of seed products, IG depends on the species of plant from which they are obtained and the form in which they are eaten. GI of fruits depends on their ripeness, form of processing, amount of water and sugar. GI is influenced not only by the degree of grain purification, but also by culinary processing. The GI of fresh produce is much lower than that of cooked or otherwise processed products. The longer something is cooked, the higher the GI, e.g. cooked carrots have a GI of 60 and raw carrots only 30. Low GI products include whole grain bread and pasta, raw rice, most raw vegetables and fruits. High GI have sweets, sweetened drinks, wheat flour products, white rice, some dried fruits.

Important

Principles of a diet consistent with the glycemic index

  • Most of the energy (55 percent) is to come from carbohydrates, 25-30 percent. from fats, 15-20 percent from proteins. The daily menu should include wholemeal and whole grain bread, groats, paddy rice and bran, especially oat bran. Approx. 1/2 kg of vegetables (preferably raw): broccoli, all green, colorful (tomatoes, radishes, peppers, chicory, fresh and pickled cucumbers, garlic and onions) - have the power to lower blood sugar. Apples, grapefruits, strawberries, and watermelons are less sweet and have a lower GI compared to grapes, bananas, apricots, peaches, pineapples.
  • Products containing refined sugar are not recommended, e.g. cakes, ice cream, candies, chocolate, sweetened yoghurts, as well as alcohol, sweetened drinks, fruit juices from cartons.
  • All white products are not recommended: white flour, white rice, white bread, pasta, small light grains.And the dark ones - wholemeal flour, pearl barley, buckwheat, wild and brown paddy rice, dark wholemeal bread - are desirable.
  • In addition to IG control, it is important to eat regularly. You should eat every 3-4 hours, 3 main meals and 2 smaller ones.
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