Is the glycemic index useful for controlling blood sugar?

Is the glycemic index useful for controlling blood sugar?

Let’s talk about glycemic index first

What is the glycemic index?

The glycemic index or glycaemic index (GI) is a number associated with a particular type of food that indicates the food's effect on a person's blood glucose (also called blood sugar) level.The number typically ranges between 50 and 100, where 100 represents the standard, an equivalent amount of pure glucose.

Choosing products based on the glycemic index

The glycemic index (GI) is classified as low (10-40), medium (40-70) and high (70-100). Patients with diabetes should avoid high-calorie foods, even if their index is small.

The smaller the GIof the product, the slower it is absorbed, and the more smoothly increases blood sugar after consuming this product. In contrast, products with a high GI almost instantaneously increase blood sugar levels. That is, what will be a certain GI of the product depends on several components: the type of carbohydrate (simple or complex), the quantitative content of protein, fat, fiber, and the heat treatment process. 

Knowing this information is vital to patients with diabetes of any type, as it allows to monitor their health, feel good and to avoid complications. Below is a table of some most common products with their respective GI.

Cereals

Product Name	The glycemic index,%
Corn	90-100
Semolina	70-90
Rice	70-90
Wheat	70-90
Millet	70-90
Rolled oats	50-70
Barley	50-70
Buckwheat	50-70
Oatmeal	30-50
Peas	30-50
Pearl	less than 30
Oatmeal	less than 30

Bakery products

Product Name	The glycemic index,%
Pancakes	50-70
Bagels	70-90
Crackers	90-100
Wheat bread	90-100
Rye bread	90-100
Waffles	70-90
Crackers	70-90
Fritters	50-70
Biscuit	70-90
Yeast dough	70-90
Leaven dough	70-90

Poultry eggs

Product Name	The glycemic index,%
Omelets	30-50
Fried egg	30-50
Chicken Broilers, chickens, geese, turkey	less than 30

Veggies

Product Name	The glycemic index,%
Green Peas	50-70
Potatoes	70-90
Cucumbers	less than 30
Turnip	70-90
Beans	30-50
Other Vegetables	less than 30