![]() ![]() The GI of selected carbohydrate-containing foods can be found in Table 1. Intermediate-GI foods have a GI between 56 and 69 (3). Foods containing carbohydrates that are easily digested, absorbed, and metabolized have a high GI (GI≥70 on the glucose scale), while low-GI foods (GI≤55 on the glucose scale) have slowly digestible carbohydrates that elicit a reduced postprandial glucose response. The GI is meant to represent the relative quality of a carbohydrate-containing food. The concept of glycemic index (GI) has thus been developed in order to rank dietary carbohydrates based on their overall effect on postprandial blood glucose concentration relative to a referent carbohydrate, generally pure glucose (2). This assumption turned out to be too simplistic since the blood glucose (glycemic) response to complex carbohydrates has been found to vary considerably. Advice to eat less simple and more complex carbohydrates (i.e., polysaccharides) was based on the assumption that consuming starchy foods would lead to smaller increases in blood glucose than sugary foods (1). Carbohydrates composed of one or two simple sugars like fructose or sucrose (table sugar a disaccharide composed of one molecule of glucose and one molecule of fructose) were labeled simple, while starchy foods were labeled complex because starch is composed of long chains of the simple sugar, glucose. In the past, carbohydrates were classified as simple or complex based on the number of simple sugars in the molecule. Glycemic Index Glycemic index of individual foods Lowering dietary GL can be achieved by increasing the consumption of whole grains, nuts, legumes, fruit, and non-starchy vegetables, and decreasing intakes of moderate- and high-GI foods like potatoes, white rice, white bread, and sugary foods. Both types of diets resulted in beneficial effects on metabolic markers associated with the risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular disease. Several dietary intervention studies found that low-GI/GL diets were as effective as conventional, low-fat diets in reducing body weight. This approach is not currently included in the overall strategy of diabetes management in the US. Lowering the GL of the diet may be an effective method to improve glycemic control in individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus. ![]()
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