Glycemic Index – some definition

Physiology: Glycemic Index (GI)

1. Rate of food digestion relative to glucose
1. Compared to glucose or white bread as the control
2. High glycemic food adverse effects
1. Hyperglycemia may persist for 2 hours after meal
1. Stimulates higher Insulin release
2. Hypoglycemia results within 2 to 4 hours after meal
1. Stimulates appetite
2. Raises free fatty acid levels
3. Glycemic load (GL)
1. Corrects glycemic index for serving size
2. Examples
1. Scone GI is high at 92, but GL is low at 8
2. Arborio rice GI is only 69, but GL is high at 36

Indications: Focus on lower glycemic index foods
1. Obesity Management
2. Diabetes Mellitus Management
3. Coronary Artery Disease Management

1. A ranking of the relationship between various foods and glucose blood serum levels. The carbohydrate composition of the food directly effects the concentration of glucose in the blood.

2. A numerical system of measuring the rate of BLOOD GLUCOSE generation by a particular food item as compared to a reference item, such as glucose = 100. Foods with higher glycemic index numbers create greater blood sugar swings. These numbers do not correspond to calories or amounts of food intake but rather, depend on the rates of digestion and absorption of these food items.

(source: http://www.fpnotebook.com/Pharm/Nutrition/GlycmcIndx.htm)