Glycemic index - what does it say and why is it so important?

What is the glycemic index?

The glycemic index is a measure of the blood sugar-raising effect of a food or the carbohydrates it contains. It shows how quickly and how high a certain food causes blood sugar levels to rise. The blood sugar-boosting effect of 50g glucose serves as a reference value (100). This compares 50g of carbohydrates from a given food.

The lower the glycemic index, the slower and lower the blood sugar rises. This also means that foods with a lower GI have a longer satiety effect. Foods with a high GI on the other hand, lead to a quick but short-lasting energy supply and can thus trigger cravings.

Low glycemic index foods

Meat, fish, and low-fat dairy products are good choices if you want to watch your blood sugar levels. Vegetables, legumes, and whole grains also have a low GI due to their complex carbohydrates.

Complex carbohydrates are processed more slowly by the body and thus cause blood sugar to rise more slowly than simple carbohydrates, which pass quickly into the blood. In the case of fruit, the GI varies. For example, GI is lower for berries, apples, and cherries than for watermelon or pineapple.

In general, foods with a GI below 55 are ideal. A glycemic index above 70 is classified as "high" and should be avoided as much as possible. Almased has a GI of 27.

Foods with high glycemic index

Foods that contain a lot of white flour and simple carbohydrates have a high glycemic index. These include white rice, white bread, cornflakes or crackers.

But the processing of the food also plays a role. For example, the GI of mashed potatoes is higher than that of whole potatoes. By crushing them, the carbohydrates can be better absorbed by the body and thus also enter the blood more quickly in the form of glucose.

Foods with hidden carbohydrates, such as convenience foods or pickled fruits and vegetables can also have astonishingly high GI values. So, it's best to always pay attention to the stated carbohydrate and sugar content on the packaging.

Preparation makes a difference!

In fact, the glycemic index is not only about what foods you eat but also how you eat them. Preparation also plays a role.

This is because the effect heat has on carbohydrates makes it easier for us to digest and thus the glycemic index increases. That's why the GI is sometimes presented separately for the raw and cooked food.

Also, you can influence the GI of a food by cleverly combining it with other foods. Fatty meals, for example, linger in the stomach for a long time until they reach the intestines. So if you combine high-glycemic foods with healthy fats, you slow down digestion and can lower your GI a bit.

Importance for people with type 2 diabetes

The glycemic index is particularly important for people with type 2 diabetes, especially those who want to lose weight. This is because the lower the blood sugar rises following a meal, the less insulin is needed to regulate the increase.

Thus, a low glycemic index contributes to more consistent blood sugar and insulin levels. Low blood sugar and insulin levels also help the body burn more fat and prevent hunger, making it easier to lose weight. This is exactly where Almased excels and ensures rapid weight loss with low-glycemic, protein-rich shakes.

The effects of meals with different glycemic indexes can be well illustrated by blood glucose self-monitoring. Those who measure their blood sugar after eating foods with a low glycemic index will notice a smaller increase than foods with a high glycemic index.

Glycemic Load vs. Glycemic Index

In contrast to the glycemic index, the carbohydrate content of a food is also taken into account when calculating the glycemic load. The glycemic index always refers to 50 g of carbohydrates in a product, regardless of how many grams of carbohydrates are contained per 100 g.

Carrots, for example, contain 100 g of carbohydrates per 10 g, so you would have to eat half a kilo of carrots to get 50 g of carbohydrates. Most of the time, however, we consume significantly lower amounts of carrots, so blood sugar levels are not strongly influenced by it.

Although carrots have a relatively high glycemic index of 47, the glycemic load is very small, hovering around 3. In everyday life, the glycemic load is much more revealing and provides more information about actual consumed portion sizes. By the way: Almased also has a low glycemic load of 7.9 and is therefore particularly gentle on blood sugar.

Glycaemic index as a form of diet

Of course, with the variety of diets available today, there is also a diet that specifically focuses on the glycemic index - the Glyx diet. This diet begins with 3 days of soup fasting, after which the diet should be permanently changed to foods with low GI. A traffic light system is used to differentiate between good and bad carbohydrates. The fat content of the food is also considered and displayed in the colors green to red. So-called Glyx tables are then intended to help consumers prepare a balanced meal.

Particularly for type 2 diabetes, the Glyx diet can offer an introduction to a GI-conscious diet. However, it is also viewed critically among the scientific community, as this form of nutrition requires the elimination of some foods. With Almased however, a GI-conscious diet can be achieved without much effort or nutritional deprivation.

Individual factors: The microbiome

The rise in blood sugar after eating various foods depends not only on the properties of carbohydrates. Genetic factors and the composition of the gut microbiome also play a role.

Recent studies show that even twins react differently to the same foods. For some, blood sugar levels rise particularly sharply after eating white rice. While others see a particularly sharp increase after eating pasta.

These differences can be explained by the makeup of our intestines. Many millions of bacteria live there, which can have a positive or negative influence on our digestion and health. Depending on how we eat, the composition of these bacteria changes. Regular exercise, stress and environmental factors also influence the environment in our intestines.

In one of our recent studies, we investigated the positive effects Almased can have on the microbiome to better understand the interactions between the microbiome and metabolism.

Source: Human Postprandial Responses to Food and Potential for Precision Nutrition - PMC (nih.gov)