Glycemic Index: Can it Help You Control Diabetes

When it comes to diabetes, there is no longer one “right” way to eat. There are many meal planning approaches and eating patterns that can be effective in managing diabetes. The glycemic index (GI) is one of those plans. The meal planning approach you select should be one that allows you to eat what feels right and still maintain proper blood glucose – also called blood sugar, control, cholesterol and triglyceride levels, blood pressure, and body weight. Read on to determine if the glycemic index is right for you.

What Is the Glycemic Index?

Developed over 30 years ago, the GI is a measure of how quickly a particular carbohydrate raises blood sugar as compared to a standard amount of glucose. A standard amount of glucose will raise blood sugar faster than any other food and is rated as 100. All other foods are rated from 0 to 100 depending on how the food compares to the glucose standard; 55 or less is a low GI, 55-69 is medium, and 70-100 is high. Food with a high GI will raise your blood sugar quickly, while a low GI food, which is absorbed more slowly, will raise your blood sugar more slowly. Only foods that contain carbohydrates have a GI index. Foods such as oils, fats, and meats do not have a GI index.

Benefits for Diabetes Management

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There’s a growing body of research that indicates that the GI may provide an additional benefit in the management of diabetes. A low GI diet seems to lead to lower fasting blood sugar levels. It also reduces hemoglobin A1C, which suggest that blood sugar control is maintained over a longer period of time. There is also some evidence that a low GI diet may lead to less hunger, which can prevent overeating and weight gain.

Problems

GI is a complicated meal planning approach. Even foods with the same carbohydrate content can affect your blood sugar differently, depending on the GI of the food. And a food may have a different GI depending on how it’s prepared – so you count the GI of a potato differently if you boil it than if you bake it. Other factors that affect the GI of a food include processing, variety, origin, and ripeness of a food. It’s a lot to keep track of.

Another problem with the GI is you won’t find it on the labels of all packaged food. There are GI lists for common food available on the internet. However, you may not find the GI for all foods you eat.

Tips for Using The GI

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Do you think the GI is the right meal planning approach for you? Before you start, keep in mind the following:

• Do not forget to look at the total nutrition of a food. Just because it is high GI does not mean it does not have other nutritional benefits or just because it is a low GI does not mean that it is necessarily healthy.
• In general, fiber-rich foods have a low GI, and processed foods have a higher GI. For example, fruit juice and instant potatoes have a higher GI than whole fruit and whole baked potato.
• Foods higher in fat or fiber tend to have a lower GI. If you choose a high GI food, combine it with a protein or fat to lower the GI. For example, have a baked potato topped with low-fat chili.
• Cooking can affect the GI of a food. For example, al dente pasta has lower GI than soft-cooked pasta. Also, eating cooked potatoes in foods such as potato salad lowers the GI. However, watch the mayo or dressing you use to prepare the salad.
• Portion size still matters because the more you eat, the higher your blood sugar will go regardless of the GI of the foods you are eating. You need to keep an eye on the portion size and number of carbs in the meal you are having, even if it has low GI foods.
• Certain foods from the same class of foods can have different GI values. For example, converted long-grain white rice has a lower GI than brown rice. And short-grain white rice has a higher GI than brown rice. Likewise, quick oats or grits have high a GI, but whole oats and whole-grain breakfast cereals have a lower GI.
• Check your blood sugar two hours after a meal to find out how your body deals with a food or meal. Use the results to develop your personal list of low GI foods.

Finally, speak with your healthcare provider before you make significant changes to your meal plan. With improved blood sugar levels you may require a medication adjustment.

Constance Brown-Riggs, MSED, RD, CDE, CDN is a registered dietitian, certified diabetes educator, national speaker and author of The African American Guide to Living Well with Diabetes. Her new book “Diabetes Guide to Enjoying Foods of the World” will be released in January 2018. She is a spokesperson for OneTouch.