II. Physiology: Glycemic Index (GI)
- Rate of food Digestion relative to Glucose
- Compared to Glucose or white bread as the control
- High Glycemic Food adverse effects
- Hyperglycemia may persist for 2 hours after meal
- Stimulates higher Insulin release
- Hypoglycemia results within 2 to 4 hours after meal
- Stimulates appetite
- Raises free Fatty Acid levels
- Hyperglycemia may persist for 2 hours after meal
- Glycemic load (GL)
- Corrects Glycemic Index for serving size
- Examples
- Scone GI is high at 92, but GL is low at 8
- Arborio rice GI is only 69, but GL is high at 36
III. Indications: Focus on lower Glycemic Index foods
- Obesity Management
- Diabetes Mellitus Management
- Coronary Artery Disease Management
IV. High Glycemic Foods (index >60): Rapid energy source
- Beverage
- Carbonated soft drinks (non-diet)
- Maltodextrin, sugar solution (7.5%)
- Maltodextrin solution (20%)
- Sucrose solution (6%)
- Breads and grains
- Bagels
- Bran muffins
- White bread
- Whole wheat bread
- Corn flakes
- White short-grained rice or sweet rice (sticky rice)
- Doughnut
- Fruits
- Over-ripe bananas
- Raisins
- Watermelon
- Vegetables
- Carrots
- Baked potato
V. Moderate Glycemic Foods (index 40-60)
- Beverage
- Unsweetened apple juice
- Orange juice
- Breads and grains
- Whole grain rye bread
- Oatmeal
- Pasta (e.g. spaghetti)
- Rice (lowest GI in long grain, brown, and Basmati)
- Muesli
- Fruits
- Grapes
- Oranges
- Under-ripe Bananas
- Dates
- Vegetables
- Beets
- Yellow corn
- Peas
- Yams
- Legumes
- Baked beans
- Lentil soup
VI. Low Glycemic Foods (index <40): Constant energy source
- Fruits
- Apples
- Cherries
- Figs
- Ripe banana
- Grains
- Pearled barley and hulless barley
- Vegetables
- Broccoli
- Legumes
- Butter beans
- Garbanzo beans (chickpeas)
- Green beans
- Lentils
- Dairy products
- Milk
- Soy milk
- Yogurt
- Nuts
- Peanuts
VII. References
- Clark (1997) Sports Nutrition Guidebook, Human Kinetics
- Foster-Powell (2002) Am J Clin Nutr 76:5-56 [PubMed]
- Ludwig (2002) JAMA 287(18):2414-23 [PubMed]