Glycemic diet plans are designed to take into account where a food falls on the glycemic index. These types of diets are often also low-carb diets, but this association is not required. Some people meticulously track the glycemic index of the foods they eat while others simply exchange low glycemic foods for high glycemic ones in the diet.
The Glycemic Index
A glycemic index diet plan is based on the idea that some carbohydrates are converted into glucose in the body more rapidly than others. This conversion causes a rapid rise in blood sugar, which affects insulin production in the body. The glycemix index is a measure of how quickly 50g of a particular food will raise the blood glucose in relation to 50g of pure sugar. Foods such as white bread, watermelon and potatoes rate as higher on the glycemic index than foods such as cherries, broccoli and tomatoes.
Purpose
Diabetics use the glycemic index to plan meals that will not cause a sudden rise in blood sugar since vast fluctuations in blood glucose can be dangerous for people with this disease. Individuals who are not diabetic may use the glycemic index as a weight loss tool, since insulin spikes, which are driven by a rise in blood sugar, cause the body to store and retain fat.
Types
Many different diet plans include the glycemic index as a way to judge the carbohydrates dieters ingest. Some examples of commercial diets based on the glycemix index include the South Beach Diet, Sugar Busters and the Zone. Individuals may also develop their own diet plans using the glycemic index. Diabetics especially may benefit from a glycemic index diet plan devised by a registered dietitian or nutritionist.
Controversy
One controversial aspect of glycemic index diets is that they often fail to take into account the specific amount of a particular food that a person consumes. For example, while watermelon may have a high glycemic index, few people eat enough watermelon to ingest a significant amount of carbohydrates at one point of time. A separate measure, called the glycemic load, takes into account the amount of carbohydrates in a single serving of a particular food.
Evidence
According to the Linus Pauling Institute, there is plenty of evidence pointing to the use of the glycemic index and glycemic load as effective ways to lose weight and improve overall health. Eating carbohydrates with a high glycemic index or high glycemic load has been linked to a higher risk of developing Type 2 diabetes, gallbladder disease, obesity and coronary heart disease.
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