Type 2 Diabetes – Glycemic Index and the Glycemic Load
| By Dr Michael Hutch Type 2 Diabetes Nutrition |
The Glycemic index measures the potential of carbohydrate containing foods to cause increases in blood glucose levels. Two different foods containing the same amount of carbohydrates can cause an individual’s blood sugar levels to rise at different rates to different levels. A food that causes a rapid increase in blood glucose has a high Glycemic index, while a food that does not cause the blood sugar to rise as quickly or as high has a low Glycemic Index. Type 2 Diabetes patients often use the Glycemic index when planning meals in order to avoid foods or combinations of food that will cause a spike in their blood sugar.Most people, especially Type 2 Diabetes patients, know the old dietary adage about cutting down on simple carbohydrates, including refined sugars. Simple carbohydrates are presumed to cause a surge of energy followed by a “crash.” In other words, simple carbohydrates cause a rapid, short-lived spike in blood glucose levels. Complex carbohydrates, on the other hand, are understood to be those that provide longer lasting energy. The Glycemic index provides a more accurate, informative look at the effects on blood sugar levels of carbohydrates in food.
Eating high foods with a high Glycemic index will result in a more rapid and larger increase in blood sugar levels than will the consumption of foods with a low Glycemic index. When blood sugar rises, the pancreas responds by increasing insulin secretion. These high insulin levels in turn cause a rapid decrease in the blood glucose levels. Consuming low Glycemic Index foods on the other hand result in lower and more stabilized levels of blood sugar and insulin secretion. However, the Glycemic index is a better instrument for diabetes management when it is used in conjunction with the Glycemic load. While the Glycemic index expresses the intensity of the body’s response to a food in terms of blood sugar levels, the Glycemic load expresses the quantity of carbohydrates in a particular food, meal, or dietary plan. Once you know the Glycemic index of a food, it is easy to calculate its Glycemic load. Simply multiply the Glycemic Index of a food by the amount in grams of carbohydrate in a serving of that food and divide the total by one hundred. The resulting figure is the food’s Glycemic load. Diets containing mostly foods with a high Glycemic load have been associated with an increased risk of developing Type 2 Diabetes. |
