Glycemic Index

a figure representing the relative ability of a carbohydrate food to increase the level of glucose in the blood.

The glycemic load of food is a number that estimates how much the food will raise a person’s blood glucose level after eating it. One unit of glycemic load approximates the effect of consuming one gram of glucose

(amount of food carbohydrate x GI) / 100

edible parts of plants that are not broken down and absorbed in the human’s small intestine

residue of plant food left after extraction by dilute acids and alkalis does not include undigested material that may be nutritionally important

measures only the polysaccharide component not used anymore

allows for the recommendation of 30g/day

bad Carbohydrate foods that are broken down quickly by your body and cause a rapid increase in blood glucose have a high GI rating. High GI foods include: sugar and sugary foods. sugary soft drinks. white bread.

good Carbohydrates with a low GI value (55 or less) are more slowly digested, absorbed and metabolised and cause a lower and slower rise in blood glucose and, therefore usually, insulin levels.