Glycemic Load (GL) Measures the Effect on Blood Glucose Levels of Carbs in a Standard Serving of Food |
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What is Glycemic Load?"Glycemic Index" Based on 50 Grams of Useable CarbsGlycemic Load is the application of the glycemic index to a standard serving of food. Remember, the glycemic index (GI) of a food is not based on commonly consumed portion-sizes of foods. Instead, GI is measured by giving volunteers a portion size sufficient to contain 50g of useable carbs. Therefore the portion size of each GI-tested food will vary according to how much carbohydrate it contains. For example, carrots contain only about 7 percent carbs, so the test-portion of carrots eaten by the test-volunteer will be huge - about 1.5 pounds. Serving sizes of foods (like bread) which contain a higher percentage of carbs, will be smaller.
The Drawback of the Glycemic IndexAs explained above, glycemic index tests are not performed on typical portion sizes. So, by using the Glycemic Index alone, the glycemic effects of foods containing a small percentage of carbs are likely to be overstated, while the glycemic effects of foods containing a high percentage of carbs are likely to be understated. For example, foods that are mostly water or air will not cause a surge in your blood sugar levels even if their glycemic index is high. This is why scientists developed the idea of Glycemic Load. It ranks foods according to actual carb content (eg. in a typical portion-size), not how fast a 50g amount of carbs raises blood sugar levels. Glycemic Load - How is it MeasuredGlycemic load tells you how much carbohydrate is in a standard serving size of food. To calculate glycemic load in a typical serving of food, divide the GI of that food by 100 and multiply this by the useable carbohydrate content (in grams) in the serving size. For example, the glycemic index of carrots is about 47. Carrots contain about 7 grams of carbohydrate per 100g of carrots. So, to calculate the glycemic load for a standard 50g serving of carrots, divide 47 by 100 (0.47) and multiply by 3.5. The glycemic load (GL) of carrots is therefore 1.6. Glycemic Load More Accurate Than Carb ContentAlthough a low-carb food typically has a lower-GI value than a high carbohydrate food, choosing foods purely on the basis of the amount of carbohydrates they contain is less beneficial for blood glucose control and general health than relying on their glycemic load (GL). Don't forget, the glycemic load of a food is its GI value per serving, and the GI value of a food is the definitive guide to its effect on glucose metabolism and thus blood sugar levels. Bottom line: choose what carbs to eat on the basis of their GL, not simply their carbohydrate content. In fact, low GI diets have now superceded low carb diets, as the latter are regarded by most dietitians as less healthy and less easy to comply with than GI weight loss plans. Source: Adapted from "Glycemic Load" © 2012 Diet Information |
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Table 1. Glycemic Load Values For All Food Types |
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Carbs-Information.com provides general information about the glycemic index (GI), glycemic load (GL), low GI diets, GI value for all food groups, health problems of high blood glucose including metabolic disorders such as pre-diabetes, impaired glucose tolerance, insulin resistance, hyperinsulinism as well as type 1 and type 2 diabetes. But no information is intended as a substitute for medical advice. Copyright 2003-2013 |