Some people are carbohydrates for which they are the enemy, of which they need to be guarded, know how to choose, and make sure of the right kind. Because as we learned to understand that there are better and fewer fats, it is now clear to us that carbohydrates can be rated and try to choose the ones that are more or less essential.
Glycemic Index (Glycemic Index) is a calculation method that measures the effect of carbohydrate-rich foods on blood sugar (glucose) and is based on the discovery that foods containing identical amounts of carbohydrate differ in how they are absorbed by the body.
Differences in how foods containing influenza were first raised by Professor David Jenkins and colleagues at the University of Toronto, Canada, in 1981. Today, the glycemic index is a tool that helps balance diabetes. In recent years, the glycemic index has become the basis for various diets, such as protein and low-carb diets. Various studies based on the glycemic index show that consuming foods with the low glycemic value may reduce the risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease, as well as the risk of obesity.
How does the glycemic index work and what does low glycemic value mean?
Whenever we put in food that has carbohydrates, a digestive process begins with the goal of supplying energy to the body. While chewing the food the carbohydrates in it break down and become glucose absorbed in the digestive system into the bloodstream. The sugar energy penetrates all the cells of the body with the insulin secreted by the pancreas.
The speed of blood sugar after eating is key to understanding the importance of the glycemic index.
Glucose is the base unit of carbohydrates. Glucose is rapidly absorbed in the body. The glycemic value of glucose, that is, the blood sugar measured about two hours after eating 50 grams of glucose, is set to 100.
100 is the highest glycemic value. The glycemic value of white bread, for example, is set at about 70.
The faster the carbohydrates in the food we eat, the higher their glycemic index and the faster their sugar levels. As a result, carbohydrates that break down slowly cause a slow and gradual release of sugar into the bloodstream - so they are of low glycemic value. The speed of the glycemic response is related to the rate of insulin secretion, and the lower the blood sugar is maintained over time, it prevents the development of insulin resistance (pre-diabetes) and diabetes. Also, the lower the glycemic value, the longer the feeling of satiety after eating the food and indirectly, obesity prevents.
Legumes, lentils, certain fruits, including citrus fruits, apples, cherries, and more are considered low glycemic foods, up to 55.
Rye bread, pasta, and rice are foods of medium glycemic value (55-70).
White bread, cereals, and pastries from white flour and boiled potatoes are of high glycemic value (over 70).
What do the studies on glycemic index reveal?
There are a number of factors that affect the glycemic value of foods, including dietary fiber and fat content, the type of sugar that is present in the food (e.g. fructose, low sugar glycemic index, medium glycemic value), flour type (whole flour, content The bran), the manner of its grinding and processing, the duration of the cooking and more.
Over the past twenty years, quite a few studies have been conducted that show that a diet based on low glycemic foods may reduce the risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease, as well as the risk of obesity. Further studies have found that a diet containing foods with a high glycemic index is associated with the prevalence of several cancers, including colorectal cancer, thyroid cancer, and more.
