The glycemic index, also referred to as GI, is a food-rating index. It uses a 0 to 100 scale to score foods. The body converts carbohydrates to sugar, which causes a glucose response in the blood. A high GI food will produce a higher blood glucose peak and overall blood glucose response as opposed to low GI foods, which have a lower blood glucose response. The caloric amounts in GI foods vary with the type of food item.
Fruits
Fruits are rich in antioxidants that help protect the body from free radicals that cause cell damage and some types of cancer, according to the National Institutes of Health. They are an essential part of a balanced diet.
Some fruits on the GI include Denmark apples, a GI 28 with 125 calories; USA apple, a GI 40 with 100 calories; raw apricots, a GI 57 with 50 calories for three; canned apricots in light syrup, a GI 64 with 120 calories per cup; bananas, a GI 58 with 105 calories; green bananas, a GI 42 with 100 calories; cherries, a GI 22 with 10 calories per 50; watermelon, a GI 72 with 50 calories per cup; figs, a GI 61 with 475 per 10; kiwi fruit, a GI 58 with 45 calories; Philippines mango, a GI 41 with 135 calories; orange, a GI 33 with 60 calories; and Australian dried dates are rated a whopping GI 103 with 230 calories per 10.
Vegetables
A diet rich in vegetables can decrease your chances of having a heart attack or stroke, protect you against some cancers, lower your blood pressure, and protect against diverticultis, an intestinal ailment, according to the Harvard School of Public Health.
Most vegetables have low GI numbers. Some common vegetables include frozen peas, a GI 39 with 125 calories per cup; sweet corn, a GI 37 with 85 calories per ear; frozen sweet corn, a GI 47 with 60 calories; raw carrots, a GI 16 with 30 calories; parsnips, a GI 97 with 125 calories per cup; a russet baked potato, a GI 78 with 145 calories; and a sweet potato, a GI 44 with 115 calories.
Some legumes that most people consider to be party of the vegetable category include baked beans, a GI 40 with 385 calories per cup; black-eyed peas, a GI 50 with 190 per cup; chickpeas canned in brine, a GI 42 with 270 calories per cup; green beans, a GI 29 with 45 calories per cup; and canned kidney beans at a GI 52 with 215 calories per cup.
Whole Grains
Whole grains are a good source of fiber, complex carbohydrates and vitamins, and are a low-fat food. They are quick source of energy and may help prevent heart disease, according to MayoClinic.com.
Whole grain foods include cracked wheat bread at a GI 58 with 65 calories per slice; muesli, a GI 60 with 200 calories per ¾ cup; oatmeal, a GI 50 with 145 calories per cup; brown rice, a GI 50 with 230 calories per cup; and quinoa, a GI 53 with 626 calories per cup.
References
- MayoClinic.com: Nutrition and Healthy Eating-Glycemic Index Diet
- "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition"; Intenational Table of Glycemic Index and Glycemic Load Values; Kaye Foster-Powell, Susanna H.A. Holt, and Janette C. Brand-Miller; 2002
- "International Journal of Cancer"; Antioxidant Intake From Fruits, Vegetables and Other Sources and Risk of Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma; C.A. Thompson et al.; February 2010
- Harvard School of Public Health: The Nutrition Source
- MayoClinic.com: Nutrition and Healthy Eating-Whole Grains
Member Comments