Glucose is a form of sugar that enters your bloodstream. Glucose is necessary for your body to function because it provides the body with energy. Certain foods that contain high glucose are also high on the glycemic index. These foods cause blood glucose levels to spike rapidly compared to lower glucose foods. Often, food made with simple sugar and refined white flour contains the highest glucose.
Sugary Beverages
Beverages, such as soft drinks or sweetened fruit juices, often contain a lot of sugar. The exact amount depends on the beverage. According to researchers at the Children’s Hospital in Boston, soft drinks have the most added sugars in the diet. A typical serving of a cola soft drink contains approximately 156 calories and 40 g of sugar. No other nutritional components are present. A sweetened fruit juice like Hawaiian Punch has 120 calories, 120 mg of sodium and 28 g of sugar.
Potatoes
Potatoes are high in carbohydrates, which your body breaks down and quickly converts into sugar. A baked potato with no skin has a glycemic index of 98, meaning it is high in glucose. The nutritional data varies on the exact type of potato. A baked potato has approximately 145 calories and 34 g of carbohydrates. Potatoes contain a small amount of sodium and protein. Potatoes, unlike sugary beverages, do have many minerals and vitamins, including potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, vitamin C, A, niacin and folate.
Bread
White bread is loaded with carbohydrates that can spike your blood glucose levels. On average, white bread is ranked 70 or higher on the glycemic index. A slice of white bread contains approximately 80 calories with 15 g of carbohydrates. White bread also has 200 mg of sodium. However, bread also contains some minerals and vitamins. White bread has two minerals, magnesium and selenium. Store-bought bread is also high in folic acid, thiamine and riboflavin.
Candy and Pastries
Many candies and pastries are high in glucose and have little other nutritional value. Processed or packaged foods like cookies, pies and candies contain sugar without any vitamins or minerals. For example, a packaged chocolate chip cookie has 160 calories, 8 g of fat, 21 g of carbohydrates and 105 mg of sodium. Packaged cookies may have a small amount of protein and iron but no other nutritional value. Pure chocolate, however, has a lower glycemic index and is not as high in glucose as most other candies.
