Healthy Eating: Is the Glycemic Index the Key?

You can get a few of the same advantages of a low glycemic index weight-reduction plan by avoiding highly processed foods.

The glycemic index is a number that indicates how quickly the body digests a certain sort of food and converts it into blood sugar. (glucose). Some studies show that a low glycemic index weight-reduction plan may offer vital health advantages for men, equivalent to a lower risk of heart disease and diabetes.

Even should you don't take the time to look up the glycemic index of every thing in your plate, you may still lower the glycemic index by avoiding highly processed foods like white bread, white rice, and sugary sweets. Can make the most of the force. . They raise blood sugar quickly but are independently linked to poorer health.

Glycemic index for the guts

The theory behind using the glycemic index to guide food decisions, including fruits, vegetables, nuts, dairy and grains, is that a sudden spike in blood sugar after a meal could cause health problems. In studies that observed large groups of individuals over time, low-glycemic foods
The index weight-reduction plan was related to less obesity, heart disease, and diabetes.

A recent clinical trial put the idea to the test. It measured the results of a low-glycemic index weight-reduction plan on aspects that affect heart health, equivalent to blood pressure and cholesterol. The study's 163 participants, who were obese, followed different eating plans for five weeks based on scientifically proven dietary approaches to forestall hypertension (DASH). Diets were high or low in carbohydrates (40% to 58% of every day calories), in addition to high or low in glycemic index.

Is the glycemic index still useful?

This one study doesn't debunk the entire concept of a low-glycemic index weight-reduction plan. For one thing, some research suggests that low glycemic index foods are useful for individuals with diabetes. In addition, says Dr. Ludwig, many features of the weight-reduction plan which are recognized as vital, equivalent to fiber and whole grains, generally don't.
Affects heart disease risk aspects in such a brief time frame.

Currently, we don't have a definitive answer as as to whether a low glycemic index weight-reduction plan improves heart health. But within the meantime, you may benefit from the same potential advantages without having to look up the numbers for every thing. Reducing the quantity of the next foods will improve the general quality of your weight-reduction plan while also lowering its glycemic index.

Highly processed grains. Eat grains which were processed as little as possible, equivalent to brown rice, or non-traditional whole grains equivalent to bulgur, millet, farro and wheat berries.

White potatoes. Healthy alternatives include sweet potatoes, whole-grain pasta, or a whole-grain dish like tabbouleh.

Added sugar. Caloric sweeteners equivalent to white table sugar and high-fructose corn syrup are moderately high on the glycemic index but are independently related to obesity and heart disease. And it's not only sweet desserts it's essential consider. Off-the-shelf bread, peanut butter, tomato sauce, and countless other processed foods contain added sugar.

How to lower the glycemic index of your weight-reduction plan
Instead of…	…eat this
Fruit juice	Whole fruit, fresh or frozen; Fruit packed in unsweetened water
Instant oats, fat	Whole oats, a complete grain breakfast cereal
Sugar-sweetened pies, cakes or cookies	Lightly sweetened and flavored yogurt with ripe berries or chopped fruit
White rice	Bulgur wheat, quinoa, or pearl barley
white bread	Whole grain, whole grain, or “flourless” breads
Baked or mashed potatoes	Cubed and roasted sweet potatoes
See the chart at /glycemic for the glycemic index of 100 common foods.