Questions and Answers
What is the difference between the glycemic index and glycemic load of a food?
The glycemic index is a measure of how quickly a food raises blood glucose levels, while the glycemic load is a measure of the total amount of carbohydrate in a serving of food multiplied by its glycemic index.
What is the standard source of carbohydrate used to compare the glycemic index of foods?
50 g of glucose
Why might the glycemic load be a more realistic way of rating foods than the glycemic index?
Because the glycemic load takes into account the typical serving size of a food, providing a more accurate picture of its impact on blood glucose levels.
What types of foods tend to have high glycemic indices?
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What is the purpose of ranking foods by their glycemic index?
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How is the glycemic load of a food calculated?
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What observation in the early 1980s led to the development of the concepts of glycemic index and glycemic load?
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What is the significance of a food having a high glycemic index?
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What is the difference between the glycemic index and glycemic load of a food?
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According to Table 5.12, what is the glycemic index of a Snickers candy bar?
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Why do critics think the GI and GL standards have limited usefulness as a menu-planning tool?
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What is the association between high GI/GL diets and chronic diseases according to epidemiological studies?
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How can people with diabetes benefit from a low GI or low GL diet?
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What is the benefit of eating foods with low GLs?
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How does the effect of a food on blood glucose levels change when it is eaten as part of a meal?
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What is the benefit of a low GI diet in terms of cardiovascular disease?
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Study Notes
Glycemic Index and Glycemic Load
- Researchers in the 1980s discovered that the body digests carbohydrate-rich foods at different rates, leading to varying insulin responses.
- Foods with high fiber content are digested slowly and do not cause a dramatic increase in blood glucose and insulin levels.
What is the Glycemic Index?
- The glycemic index (GI) compares the rise in blood glucose after eating a food that supplies 50g of digestible carbohydrate to the rise after eating 50g of glucose.
- GI classifies foods based on their ability to raise blood glucose levels.
What is the Glycemic Load?
- The glycemic load (GL) is the grams of carbohydrate in a serving of food multiplied by the food's GI, divided by 100.
- GL may be a more realistic way of rating foods because it indicates the relative rise in blood glucose levels after eating a typical serving of a carbohydrate-containing food.
Classification of Foods based on GI and GL
- Foods with high GIs (70 or more) include sucrose, sugary foods, and highly refined starchy foods like cornflakes, baked potatoes, and white rice.
- Foods with low to moderate GIs (less than 70) include raw apples, carrots, spaghetti, fat-free milk, and peanuts.
- Foods with low GLs (less than 10) are considered beneficial, while those with high GLs (more than 20) may be detrimental to health.
Importance of GI and GL
- Critics argue that GI and GL values can vary too much depending on factors like food source, ripeness, and processing.
- Despite limitations, epidemiological studies suggest an association between high GI/GL diets and chronic diseases like obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and certain cancers.
- Low GI diets may improve blood lipid levels, reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, and improve HbA1c levels.
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Description
Learn how carbohydrate-rich foods affect blood glucose and insulin levels, and how the glycemic index compares the impact of different foods.