Glycemic Index Diet: What It Is and How It Works
By My Store Admin
Among the various diets that are thought to be able to help maintain good physical shape is the glycemic index diet . This is a nutritional plan based on the glycemic index of the products you bring to the table.
By controlling sugar consumption , in practice, you would be able to maintain an optimal level in the blood. A quantity that will give you enough energy during the day but not so much as to become “harmful”.
But how does this diet really work and what concepts is it based on?
What is the glycemic index (GI)?
The concept of “ glycemic index ” (GI) is quite new, having been first theorized in the 1970s by a researcher at Stanford University.
In practice, it would be the indicator that measures the capacity of each carbohydrate-based food to raise blood sugar levels more or less massively and more or less rapidly.
The glycemic index scale, on a base of 100 – where 100 is 100% of absorption at the intestinal level – says that a low glycemic index is below 35, a medium one between 35 and 50, and a high GI above 50. The higher the GI, the more that food causes a significant glycemic response, which is bad.
In fact, we should prefer foods with a low glycemic index , so as not to exceed the amount of sugar in the blood, which in the long run can cause not only weight gain but also imbalances and real pathologies.
Sugar metabolism and glycemia
Let's start by understanding how it works sugar metabolism . Sugar is one of the primary sources of nourishment for cells.
Carbohydrates can be divided into simple sugars, which are more immediately assimilated, starches, which need to be broken down further, and fibres, which pass through the digestive system substantially unchanged.
Although much demonized, therefore, sugar is useful because it provides the body with quickly usable energy. Insulin It is the enzyme that transfers sugar from the blood to the cells, when there are high levels of it in the blood.
The Glucagon , on the other hand, serves to release sugar into the blood from reserves stored in the liver when not enough is introduced through food.
Blood sugar level is commonly called blood sugar .
There are some pathologies, such as type 2 diabetes and obesity, which have a strong correlation with glycemic imbalances due to incorrect functioning of insulin, which does not allow the correct regulation of blood sugar levels, raising or lowering them suddenly.
In these cases, obviously, it is best to follow the indications of your specialist and carry out an adequate diet, under medical supervision.
What to eat if you follow the glycemic index diet
The idea is not to divide foods into canonical “ macros ” – carbohydrates, fats and proteins – but to select them according to their glycemic index.
The glycemic index diet includes the consumption of low GI foods , which often reveal unexpected truths. An example?
Pure sugars, such as fructose, which is naturally present in fruit, have a much lower GI than foods considered suitable for weight-loss diets, such as white rice, which is rich in starches and can significantly raise blood sugar levels.
It is therefore a good idea to study the GI of individual foods, to understand what is best to include in your weekly menus and what to avoid. In general, regarding carbohydrate-based foods, cereals wholemeal They are more suitable than refined ones, because they have a higher fibre content.
Green light – without going overboard, obviously – to protein-based foods and good fats , which do not directly contain sugars and, therefore, have a zero or extremely low GI.
Be careful, however, in general, with all highly processed industrial products: they often contain hidden sugars, it is better not to abuse them.
Glycemic Index Diet: Pros and Cons
Eating too much sugar has a negative correlation with several health problems, even serious ones. It is also true, however, that sugar is the primary nourishment of our cells and should not, therefore, be stigmatized in its entirety.
Between The Pros of the Glycemic Index Diet there is certainly the fact of being able to keep your blood sugar under control, and of encouraging the consumption of natural sugars, such as fructose from fruit, and whole foods.
Between the cons , the fact that there is not, to date, a unique and scientifically unassailable list of glycemic indexes. This is because the GI of each food is influenced by many parameters, for example the ripening - if we are talking about fruit - or the type and duration of cooking for starches.
Furthermore, you need to be careful not to overdo it by completely eliminating an essential macronutrient like carbohydrates from your diet.
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