The Glycaemic Index
There is a new spate of diet books linked to the Glycemic Index. What is it and why might it help control blood sugar levels in diabetics or help in a weight loss diet?

Recently I reviewed a book called Easy GI Diet (Good Carb Diet Plan in the USA) in which the author uses the Glycaemic Index (GI) as an intrinsic part of a weight loss diet. Although the GI is not a straightforward way of losing weight or even controlling blood sugar levels for diabetics, if used sensibly it can help do both.

So what is it?

It is a method of calculating how quickly various foods are digested by the body. This means that foods low on the GI are broken down into sugars slowly leading to a lower rise in blood sugar levels. A further benefit of slowly digested food is that the food stays longer in your system so you don't get hungry so quickly.

Food and Blood Sugar
Carbohydrates are the only type of food used by the brain and blood cells. If you don't eat carbs, you are endangering your health. It's as simple as that.

When we eat, digestion begins with digestive enzymes in saliva. The food then goes into the stomach and from there to the small intestine. This is where carbs are mostly digested. They are broken down into three different types of sugars:

• glucose
• fructose
• galactose

Insulin is then released to move most of the sugars from the blood to muscles and cells where it is used as fuel. What is left behind is glucose, used by the brain and central nervous system.

The Glycaemic Index
It was researched and developed by Dr David Jenkins, a professor at the University of Toronto in Canada. He investigated which foods were most suitable for diabetics and in the process developed the Glycaemic Index.

Taking pure glucose, which enters the blood stream very quickly, as a reference with a GI of 100, all other foods are ranked from 1 to 100. In a nutshell, the lower the GI, the longer it takes for the food to be digested and affect blood sugar levels.

Other researchers all over the world have followed up the work by Dr Jenkins and have confirmed his findings.

So what does this mean to you?
If you are diabetic, you should eat foods low on the GI. For example, 30 grams of cornflakes have a GI of 84 while the same amount of All-Bran has only 42. One medium apple comes in at 38 and 80 grams of cherries (around 20) is just 22 while a 150 grams of watermelon is 72.

Beware!
There is one complicating factor and that is the amount of fat contained in foods. High fat foods often come in at the lower end of the GI, apparently making them 'good' foods because the fat takes longer to digest. Anybody wanting to lose weight or control blood sugars should be aiming for a low fat diet and so the amount of fat in any food should be taken into consideration along with the GI.

Further Reading
The New Glucose Revolution Pocket Guide to the Top 100 Low-Glycemic Foods from Amazon.com or from Amazon.co.uk.

The Glucose Revolution Life Plan from Amazon.com or from Amazon.co.uk.

Sugar Bust for Life!... With the Brennans: Cookbook and Companion Guide from Amazon.com or from Amazon.co.uk.

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Copyright © 2004 Carol Fisher. All Rights Reserved.