The Glycemic Index

Carbohydrate's Popularity Contest

Not all carbohydrates are created equal. The glycemic index (GI) measures how any given food (that is to say carbohydrate containing food) raises or lowers your blood sugar. Eating carbohydrates can have a profound effect on your blood sugar, especially people with diabetes. High GI foods raise your blood sugar more than low GI foods. The goal is to eat foods with a low (or medium) GI and stay away from high GI foods.

The GI is important to understand because many popular diets are based on or make positive reference to eating low GI foods, including the South Beach Diet, the Mediterranean Diet, and the Zone Diet. While popular does not always mean better, these diets are on the forefront of where many researchers believe good nutrition is going.

High GI Foods (70+)

• White bread or bagel
• Corn flakes, puffed rice, bran flakes, instant oatmeal
• White rice, rice pasta, macaroni and cheese from a mix
• Russet potato, pumpkin
• Pretzels, rice cakes, popcorn, saltine crackers
• Melons and pineapple

Low GI Foods (55 or less)

• 100% stone-ground whole wheat or pumpernickel bread
• Beans (kidney, lentils)
• Oatmeal (rolled or steel-cut), oat bran, muesli
• Whole grain pasta, converted rice, barley
• Sweet potato, corn, yam, lima/butter beans, peas, legumes and lentils
• Most fruits, non-starchy vegetables and carrots

Medium GI Foods (56-69)

• Whole wheat, rye and pita bread
• Quick oats
• Brown, wild or basmati rice, couscous

Issues Affecting GI Foods:

• Amount of Carbohydrates eaten. (portion size is important)
• Freshness. The older a food, the higher the GI.
• Cooking Time (longer cooking time increases GI)
• Processing (For example - Fruit has a lower GI than juice)
• Food Combinations (A high GI food can be eaten with a low GI food to balance the effect and moderate blood sugar)
• Nutrition (don't eat chocolate just because it has a lower GI than oatmeal! You can't ignore overall nutrition content)