The rate at which a carbohydrate-rich food gets digested and raises your blood sugar levels is known as its glycemic index, according to the Harvard School of Public Health. The higher the number, the faster and greater it will raise your blood sugar level. The school warns that eating high glycemic foods increases your risk of cancer, heart disease, diabetes and macular degeneration. Meanwhile, a 2003 study published in the "Journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics" concluded that eating low glycemic foods play a critical role in controlling weight. When choosing a carb-rich food, pick one with a low glycemic index to potentially experience these benefits for yourself.
Fruit Yogurt
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology ranks fruit yogurt as one of the best low glycemic foods. It has a glycemic index of just 33, according to the University of Wisconsin Center for Integrative Medicine. This places it well below the center's threshold for defining low glycemic, which is any food that's rated below 50.
Whole Wheat Spaghetti
Although pasta often gets a bad reputation for being high in carbohydrates, the whole wheat flour in whole wheat spaghetti helps slow down digestion and lowers its glycemic index. The Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University notes that such wheat has a glycemic index of just 37, in contrast with white flour spaghetti that has a glycemic rating of 44.
Beans
The Harvard School of Public Health praises beans as one of the best sources of healthy carbohydrates, in part due to its low glycemic index combined with healthy substances like protein and fiber. Specific glycemic ratings vary depending on the bean variety. For example, lentils have a glycemic index of 29 while kidney beans are listed at 28 by the Linus Pauling Institute.
Fruit
Although fruit is high in sugary carbs, some have a lower glycemic index than others, Some of the best high-carb yet low glycemic fruit, according to The Franklin Institute, include grapes at 43, grapefruit at 25, strawberries at 32 and plums at 24. In contrast, the institute warns that pineapple comes ranked at 66, dates at 103 and cantaloupe at 65, which places them in the mid-level to high glycemic range.
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