Bottom Line Health
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| The higher a food's glycemic index, the greater its effect on blood sugar levels.
The chief determinant of the glycemic index of a particular food is the speed at which it is digested. Carbs that break down into glucose quickly raise blood sugar sharply. Slow-digesting carbs keep blood sugar levels on an even keel.
What determines the speed of digestion? A food's particle size. The smaller the particles, the faster the food is digested and the higher its glycemic index. |
Marshall Editions
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 Eat >y high-protein meals and snacks regularly and include low glycemic index (Gl), I' high-fiber carbohydrates in your diet. An item of food's glycemic index is determined by how much it causes the blood sugar to rise relative to a slice of white bread.
Low glycemic index foods are those that release sugar into the bloodstream at a slow rate.
These foods tend to be high-fiber, whole grain, non-processed foods. Avoid simple sugars, simple carbohydrates, and large, infrequent meals. A simple sugar, such as sweets, causes an immediate elevation but then a big drop in blood sugar. |
Bottom Line Health
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| Snacks: Flavored, low-fat yogurt is a good snack—it has a glycemic index of 33- While pastries, candy and ice cream are too fatty and calorie-dense to be more than an occasional indulgence, their glycemic indices are the same as the glycemic index of bread.
You might expect table sugar and honey to have the highest glycemic indices. In fact, each has a glycemic index that is approximately the same as white or whole-wheat bread.
Explanation: Honey and table sugar break down into fructose as well as glucose. Fructose is converted into glucose very slowly. |
| Just include enough low-glycemic index foods to bring down the average glycemic index.
Breakfast: Choose oatmeal (glycemic index, 49).. .muesli (56).. .or cereals like Kellogg's Bran Buds with Psyllium (45).
Bread: Whole-grain pumpernickel (51)... sourdough (52).. .and stone-ground whole wheat (52) have lower glycemic indices than wholewheat or white bread (69 to 70).
Starches: Pasta (30 to 45) should be a mainstay of your diet. Pearled barley (25) and bulgur (48) have lower glycemic indices than white rice (72). |
| Snacks: Flavored, low-fat yogurt is a good snack—it has a glycemic index of 33- While pastries, candy and ice cream are too fatty and calorie-dense to be more than an occasional indulgence, their glycemic indices are the same as the glycemic index of bread.
You might expect table sugar and honey to have the highest glycemic indices. In fact, each has a glycemic index that is approximately the same as white or whole-wheat bread.
Explanation: Honey and table sugar break down into fructose as well as glucose. Fructose is converted into glucose very slowly. |
Herbert Ross, DC with Keri Brenner, L.Ac.
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 Those foods with a high rating on the glycemic index cause a higher insulin response than those with a low rating. "The glycemic index ranks foods according to how fast they are absorbed into the blood as sugar," says Ann Louise Gittleman, MS, CNS, author of Get the Sugar Out. "A diet based on high glycemic index foods (those absorbed most quickly) usually leads to a condition of chronic low blood sugar because you have rapid rises followed by sharp dips in blood sugar levels. |
| To evaluate foods based on their insulin impact, a scientific rating system called the glycemic index was developed by diabetes researchers at the University of Toronto. The index offers a comparison of the insulin effect of different foods, measuring their real-life effect on blood sugar levels. Those foods with a high rating on the glycemic index cause a higher insulin response than those with a low rating. "The glycemic index ranks foods according to how fast they are absorbed into the blood as sugar," says Ann Louise Gittleman, MS, CNS, author of Get the Sugar Out. |
Mike Adams, the Health Ranger
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 Because it alters the glycemic index of the juice.
Eight oz. of pomegranate juice (one serving) can deliver over 30 grams of sugars. That's more than two servings of a sweetened breakfast cereal. It's a lot of sugar to deal with. And if you're diabetic or hypoglycemic, you should never drink these juices on an empty stomach. When you eat real pomegranate seeds, you see, the natural seed fibers slow the absorption of the pomegranate sugars. So the glycemic index of pomegranate seeds is far lower than the glycemic index of pomegranate juice. |
Steven V. Joyal
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 Now, you may be thinking, "Here it comes, more information about counting carbohydrates and calculating my fat intake," or "I hope we're not going to be reviewing the glycemic index and glycemic load. I'm sick of trying to figure out those charts."
Actually, we're going to correct some important misconceptions about the common wisdom surrounding the glycemic index. Furthermore, we're going to share with you incredibly important information that we're almost certain you've never read or heard before. |
Jack Challem
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 How Do the glycemic index and the Glycemic Load Fit In?
To appreciate the effect of refined sugar and carbohydrates on your body, it helps to understand a little about the glycemic index and the glycemic load.
Both terms are rankings of how quickly sugar- and carb-containing foods get absorbed and boost blood-sugar levels. High-glycemic foods (such as sugary soft drinks, candy bars, rice cakes, and potatoes) trigger a sharp increase and a subsequent drop in blood-sugar levels. |
Mike Adams, the Health Ranger
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| So the glycemic index of pomegranate seeds is far lower than the glycemic index of pomegranate juice. Keep this in mind when planning your consumption of this juice.
Tips: Eat a salad or other high-fiber foods before consuming juices made from concentrate (including pom juice, grape juice, orange juice, blueberry juice or even apple juice). These might include a bowl of oatmeal with extra oat bran, a fresh apple (which contains plenty of fiber), whole grains that are well-chewed, or fiber supplements such as glucomannan. |
Marshall Editions
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| An item of food's glycemic index is determined by how much it causes the blood sugar to rise relative to a slice of white bread.
Low glycemic index foods are those that release sugar into the bloodstream at a slow rate.
These foods tend to be high-fiber, whole grain, non-processed foods. Avoid simple sugars, simple carbohydrates, and large, infrequent meals. A simple sugar, such as sweets, causes an immediate elevation but then a big drop in blood sugar.
Supplements: There are certain minerals, such as chromium and vanadium, that are important for regulating blood sugar. |
Mike Adams, the Health Ranger
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| So the glycemic index of pomegranate seeds is far lower than the glycemic index of pomegranate juice. Keep this in mind when planning your consumption of this juice.
Tips: Eat a salad or other high-fiber foods before consuming juices made from concentrate (including pom juice, grape juice, orange juice, blueberry juice or even apple juice). These might include a bowl of oatmeal with extra oat bran, a fresh apple (which contains plenty of fiber), whole grains that are well-chewed, or fiber supplements such as glucomannan. |
Craig Pepin-Donat
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 The South Beach Diet™ solution uses a glycemic index favoring foods that release sugar more gradually into the blood. The Scarsdale diet is a rigid, two-week program following restricted calories and low fat with zero substitutions followed by an unsustainably restrictive maintenance regime. Also employing the glycemic index, Sugar Busters® avoids simple sugars, which lead to insulin production and fat storage. Fit for Life focuses on food combining with an emphasis on living foods such as raw fruits and vegetables. |
Marshall Editions
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| An item of food's glycemic index is determined by how much it causes the blood sugar to rise relative to a slice of white bread.
Low glycemic index foods are those that release sugar into the bloodstream at a slow rate.
These foods tend to be high-fiber, whole grain, non-processed foods. Avoid simple sugars, simple carbohydrates, and large, infrequent meals. A simple sugar, such as sweets, causes an immediate elevation but then a big drop in blood sugar.
Supplements: There are certain minerals, such as chromium and vanadium, that are important for regulating blood sugar. |
David Brownstein
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 Carbohydrates can be rated on a "glycemic index" scale. "Good" carbohydrates will have a low glycemic index rating: they do not excessively raise blood sugar levels. "Bad" carbohydrates will have a high glycemic index rating: they will cause blood sugar to elevate quickly, resulting in an exaggerated insulin response. A table listing of the glycemic index of various carbohydrates is found in Appendix A. There is no question that eating food with a low glycemic index is helpful to promoting a healthy hormonal and immune system.
B. |
Byron J. Richards
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 The Glycemic Index
The glycemic index is designed to show what foods cause a sugar surge into the blood and thus a rapid rise in insulin. This concept is often referenced as a basic dietary truth for guiding food selection. The glycemic index is overrated. According to it, high-fructose corn syrup would be a good choice for consumers.
This index has some value for understanding how you can eat too many carbohydrates. Studies support the fact that formerly real foods which have had their fiber and nutritional value stripped away are a source of disease. |
Steven V. Joyal
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| Take the glycemic index, for example. glycemic index (GI) is a measure of how quickly a specific food will raise your blood glucose level. Basically, it is commonly believed that foods that rank high on the GI charts are considered bad, while those that rank low are considered good. But if you look at the charts, cornflakes have a high GI (86-92), while a popular chocolate and peanut candy bar has a low GI (41-43). Plain boiled carrots rank very high (about 92), while a chocolate cake with frosting ranks low (38) (see www.glycemicindex.com). |
| Or do you
INFLUENCE OF glycemic index ON GLYCEMIC RESPONSE, APPETITE, AND FOOD INTAKE IN HEALTHY ADULTS
High glycemic index (Gl) diets are commonly promoted as a way to enhance appetite and promote weight gain. Support for these ideas is mainly based on the results of very short term studies done under artificial settings. So a study by Brazilian researchers published in September 2005 in the peer-reviewed journal Diabetes Care put these ideas to the test. Two groups of adults consumed either only low- or only high-GI foods for eight days under carefully controlled conditions. |
Mike Adams
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 If you want a tasty sweetener that is extremely low on the glycemic index, get Agave nectar.
Ideally, get Agave nectar grown and harvested from Blue Weber agave plants. They have a glycemic index of 19, which is extremely low—lower than many vegetables. Stevia is a liquid sugar that tastes wonderful. It also has a very low glycemic index that can help you with appetite control.
Also, remember that appetite is often stimulated in people who lack essential nutrients. |
Gabriel Cousens, M.D.
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 The determination of the glycemic index of a food requires a sophisticated series of blood measurements of glucose over time after the particular food has been eaten. The average effect of a food on the test subjects is quantified, and the food is then rated on the glycemic index. The glycemic index indicates the glycemic effect of a food on most people.
There are many potential ill effects from a high-glycemic diet besides activating the "self-composting" process that leads to chronic degener-
398 I ative disease. |
Steven V. Joyal
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| Take the glycemic index, for example. glycemic index (GI) is a measure of how quickly a specific food will raise your blood glucose level. Basically, it is commonly believed that foods that rank high on the GI charts are considered bad, while those that rank low are considered good. But if you look at the charts, cornflakes have a high GI (86-92), while a popular chocolate and peanut candy bar has a low GI (41-43). Plain boiled carrots rank very high (about 92), while a chocolate cake with frosting ranks low (38) (see www.glycemicindex.com). |
Russell L. Blaylock, M.D.
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 Carbohydrates
In general, your carbohydrate choices should be based on the glycemic index, which rates foods on a scale of 1 to 100 based on how quickly they affect blood sugar levels. The index is designed so that the most desirable foods are rated below fifty. Also, the more refined a food is, the higher it will be on the glycemic index. For example, foods that release their sugar slowly, such as kidney beans, are rated at 27, while highly refined foods, such as pasta, are rated in the low nineties. While the index is not perfect, it is a good guide. |
Mark Hyman, M.D.
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 How quickly any particular carbohydrate can be converted to sugar is indicated by something called the glycemic index of the food.
The glycemic index is a measure of how high your blood sugar rises after eating a fixed amount of carbohydrate. It is expressed in the form of a number that gives an estimate of how quickly that food is converted to sugar in our bodies. Glucose is the most common standard at 100.
The higher the number, the more quickly that food is converted. One of the highest numbers belongs to white bread, which has a glycemic index of 70. |
The Editors of FC&A
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| Digesting the glycemic index controversy
You probably know about the controversy brewing around the glycemic index (GI). But do you know what it means for you?
The Pros. According to a Harvard study, you can control your blood sugar by eating a diet of low-GI carbohydrates. These are carbohydrates your body breaks down into glucose at a steady pace. High-GI foods, on the other hand, are absorbed quickly and send your blood sugar skyrocketing.
The Cons. It's not that easy to predict what will happen to your blood sugar when you eat a certain food, contend GI critics. |
| The end result is a number they call the glycemic index (GI) of that food.
They believe the higher the GI, the bigger the insulin spike, the faster you feel hungry, and the more fat you store.
The glycemic index sounds like it could be a great weight-control tool, except for a few glitches that make it difficult for ordinary people to apply the concept in real life.
• Ripeness of fruit affects its GI.
• How a food is prepared affects its GI. For example, mashed potatoes differ from baked potatoes. Thick linguini has a lower GI than thin linguini. |
Mike Adams, the Health Ranger
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 This is also present at 100 mg, and it's another form of fiber that takes up space in your stomach, makes you feel full, and helps lower the effective glycemic index of other foods you consume.
The next ingredient we have is glucosamine HCL. This glucosamine works to lower the effective glycemic index of whatever carbohydrates you may have eaten. This ingredient is better known for its positive impact on joint health and in eliminating or reducing joint pain associated with arthritis, but it does in fact have some effect on the blood sugar impact of foods you have eaten. |
| But when you consume low glycemic index foods, you create more stable blood sugar levels. You don't get the hunger spikes, nor the mood swings associated with wild swings in blood sugar levels.
What glucomannan has to do with all of this is quite fascinating. By combining this glucomannan fiber with whatever foods you've already eaten, you are effectively lowering the glycemic index of those foods, because the glucomannan fiber slows the absorption of carbohydrates from those foods. It's sort of like taking a tablespoon of sugar and mixing it with oat bran and then eating it. |
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