People with diabetes have to be mindful of their blood glucose levels, as chronically high blood glucose can lead to a number of health problems including heart disease, kidney damage and poor circulation. If you have diabetes, you have a number of ways in which you can modify your diet to help keep your blood glucose levels lower. One such way is to avoid foods with a high glycemic index as these foods have a powerful impact on your blood glucose levels.
Glycemic Index Overview
The glycemic index is a measurement of how much a food item increases your blood glucose levels. Foods that have a high glycemic index can cause sudden spikes in the amount of sugar in your blood because they are rapidly digested and converted into sugars. The glycemic index typically measures a person's blood glucose levels over time after a given amount of a food is eaten and compares them to a "reference" food, such as glucose or white bread, according to the Glycemic Index website.
Glycemic Index and Carbohydrates
Foods that have a high glycemic index are generally those that are high in rapidly digested carbohydrates. This means that foods that use processed flour, like corn flakes, crispy rice cereal, white bread, bagels and instant rice, have a high glycemic index, according to the American Medical Student Association. Sugars and easily digestible starches are more rapidly converted into glucose, which means that they have a more drastic short-term effect on blood glucose levels. Similarly, very sweet fruits like watermelon, raisins and dried figs have a high glycemic index.
Effects of Preparation
The way that a food is prepared or cooked can also affect its glycemic index. As the Merck Manual explains, foods that are ground, refined or otherwise processed typically have a higher glycemic index because they are digested more quickly. Cooking can also increase the glycemic index of a food; for example, cooking pasta for a long time increases its glycemic index.
Other Factors
In addition to the carbohydrate content of foods, other factors can impact their glycemic index. The presence of acid and fat can lower the glycemic index of food, because fat and acid cause food to stay in the stomach for longer, which slows its digestion. Fiber also slows the rate at which carbohydrates are broken down. As a result, foods that have a high glycemic index are typically low in fat and fiber and typically contain little or no acid.
Considerations
The glycemic index of food is measured when the food is eaten alone. On the other hand, foods with a high glycemic index value, such as instant rice and white bread, may have less of an impact on blood glucose levels when they are eaten with other foods, such as foods rich in protein, fat and fiber. Thus when looking at foods with a high glycemic index, you must consider what other items will be eaten to understand how a meal will impact your blood sugar.
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