Benefits of a Low Glycemic Index Diet

Following a low Glycemic Index diet is one approach to better nutrition, to weight loss and to having a healthy heart.

What is the Glycemic Index?

The Glycemic Index (GI) is based on scientific research which compared common carbohydrates and other foods to pure glucose to see how much a 50g portion increased a person's blood sugar.

Based on the findings each food was assigned a value between 0 and 100. This scale is known as the Glycemic Index (GI). A GI of over 70 is high, a GI of 56 to 69 is medium, while a low glycemic index is under 55.

How a Low Glycemic Index Diet Can Help

There are many low GI diets around.

It is believed that a low glycemic index diet can help people to lose or control their weight, control diabetes, reduce cholesterol and reduce the risk of heart disease.

It is also thought to reduce hunger pangs by keeping you feeling full for a longer period. Many (but not all) low GI foods are richer in fiber and nutrients, less processed and healthier. These include many whole-grain breads, berries, vegetables and fruits.

The Effects of High Glycemic Index Foods

The research suggests that high GI foods increase blood sugar rapidly, causing large and rapid elevations in insulin that quickly burns off the blood sugar, leaving your blood vessels stressed and causing you to feel hungry again. In a pathologic snowball-type effect, high insulin levels promote the growth of fat cells, which in turn reduce the effectiveness of insulin.

In contrast, low GI foods cause a much slower and lower increase in insulin, resulting in a more gentle and long-lasting rise in blood sugar that tends to keep you feeling full.

One of the perceived advantages of a low GI diet is that there is no calorie counting - you just eat foods from the low and medium GI group and avoid the others.

Watch for These...

The low GI does not tell the whole story, however, as the GI of foods may shift according to whether it is raw or cooked.

In addition, some low GI foods may be bad for you in other ways, containing high levels of sugars or saturated fats.

Keep in mind that the more processed a food is, the higher its GI tends to be.

How to Get Started

To switch to a low glycemic index diet, you could:

• use breakfast cereals made of bran, oats and barley;
• buy wholegrain bread; use basmati rice;
• reduce your intake of potatoes;
• eat pasta, quinoa, vegetables and fruit.