The Glycemic Index—A Key to Avoiding Diabetes and Obesity

The glycemic index measures how fast the sugar in a food gets into the blood.  The higher the glycemic index the harder the pancreas has to work to produce insulin to allow the cells of our bodies to absorb the sugar (glucose) into the cells.  Insulin attaches itself to a cell and works like a receptor to allow the cell to trap and absorb sugar that’s in the blood for energy.  Without the insulin there may be plenty of sugar in the blood but the cells can’t absorb it so the level of sugar continues to increase while the person is starved for energy.

Consult a Glycemic Index Chart to see how your favorite foods compare.  You’ll notice that for each type of food there are varieties that are higher on the glycemic index that others.

• Bakery products – pound cake is low-medium while waffles and doughnuts are high
• Beverages – soy milk is low while fruit juices are higher though still in the low range
• Biscuits are medium to high
• Breads – the multi-grain and whole wheat varieties are medium while the white varieties are high
• Breakfast cereals range from All Bran which is one high-end of low to children’s cereals which are high
• Cereal grains like barley or rye are low while rice is medium
• Dairy products are all low except for ice cream and other sugary dairy snacks
• Fruits are mostly low except for the especially sugary ones like mangoes, apricots and raisins
• Pasta is low for the most part although rice pasta is high
• Root vegetables vary considerably; carrots and yams are quite low, potatoes are medium.  Processed potatoes and parsnips are high
• Snack foods vary widely according to the types of sugars used and the amount of fats or proteins that act to slow down the increase in blood sugar.
• Vegetables are usually very low

Within each food category there are choices with a low or medium glycemic index so it is obvious that almost any meal can be prepared so as to avoid the rapid increases in blood sugar that are so unhealthy for people who don’t yet have diabetes and dangerous for those who do.

Two excellent diets that are generally tasty, healthy and have a lower overall glycemic index are the South Beach Diet and the Mediterranean Diet.