The glycemic index is a useful reference for understanding how a food will affect your blood glucose. Foods are given a rating based on their effect in comparison to pure glucose. The higher a food is on the glycemic index, the larger and faster the increase on your blood glucose. Certain aspects of raisins make them higher on the glycemic index than you might think.
How Foods Rank
There are three categories to the glycemic index. Foods can be considered low, medium and high. A food with a score between zero to 55 is low and will result in a small, sustained rise in your blood glucose. A score from 56 to 69 is considered medium, these foods will cause a moderate and sustained rise in blood glucose. Foods scored between 70 to 100 are high-glycemic foods and will cause a large spike in blood sugar typically followed by a drastic drop.
The Glycemic Index of Raisins
According to the Harvard School of Public Health, the glycemic index of a serving of raisins is about 64, plus or minus 11. This score is dependent on the serving size and type of raisin you are eating. Taking this into consideration, raisins rate as a medium on the glycemic index.
Factors Affecting Glycemic Index
Most fruits are fairly low on the glycemic index, but raisins rate moderate to high. This may be due to the manner in which raisins are produced. Raisins are ripened and dried grapes. The riper a fruit becomes, the higher its sugar content which may cause a rise in the foods glycemic index.
Significance
For some, how a food reacts with your blood sugar is important and can help with choosing which foods are safe to eat. Diabetics must be in control of their blood glucose at all times, eating a food that can cause an unhealthy spike in blood sugar can cause negative health effects for these individuals. For others, like those who are trying to lose weight, eating according to the glycemic index can be a helpful tool for satiety and fat burn.
