Glycaemic Index. Relevance for health, dietary recommendations and food labelling

Abstract

The glycaemic index (GI) concept is based on the difference in blood glucose response after ingestion of the same amount of carbohydrates from different foods, and possible implications of these differences for health, performance and well-being. GI is defined as the incremental blood glucose area (0Á2 h) following ingestion of 50 g of available carbohydrates in the test product as a percentage of the corresponding area following an equivalent amount of carbohydrate from a reference product. A high GI is generally accompanied by a high insulin response. The glycaemic load (GL) is the GI)/the amount (g) of carbohydrate in the food/100. Many factors affect the GI of foods, and GI values in published tables are indicative only, and cannot be applied directly to individual foods. Properly determined GI values for individual foods have been used successfully to predict the glycaemic response of a meal, while table values have not. An internationally recognised method for GI determination is available, and work is in progress to improve inter-and intra-laboratory performance. Some epidemiological studies and intervention studies indicate that low GI diets may favourably influence the risk of chronic diseases such as diabetes and coronary heart disease, although further well-controlled studies are needed for more definite conclusions. Low GI diets have been demonstrated to improve the blood glucose control, LDL-cholesterol and a risk factor for thrombosis in intervention studies with diabetes patients, but the effect in free-living conditions remains to be shown. The impact of GI in weight reduction and maintenance as well as exercise performance also needs further investigation. The GI concept should be applied only to foods providing at least 15 g and preferably 20 g of available carbohydrates per normal serving, and comparisons should be kept within the same food group. For healthy people, the significance of GI is still unclear and general labelling is therefore not recommended. If introduced, labelling should be product-specific and considered on a case-by-case basis.

Young Corn Ear Addition Improves Some Nutrients and Lowering Glycemic Index of Chiffon Cake

“…There are various factors of foods that affect GI include gross and cellular structures, nature of starch, type of sugar, organic acid and dietary fibre contents [30]. In the present study we purported that the dietary fibre content might have influenced the glycemic responses of the chiffon cake.…”

Popular diets, body weight and health:

“…A recent report considering the relevance of GI to health, dietary recommendations and food labelling concluded that the effect of GI on body weight and composition, as well as on appetite, needs further investigation (19). There are indications that low GI may affect body composition advantageously, but further intervention studies are required to support this hypothesis.…”

Calidad de cocción, aceptabilidad e índice glicémico de pasta larga enriquecida con leguminosas

“…Los carbohidratos de absorción lenta han sido considerados ventajosos para los individuos sanos, para evitar una respuesta excesiva de insulina e hipoglucemia entre las comidas. En el caso de las personas diabéticas o con síndrome de resistencia a la insulina, estos deben seleccionar, para su consumo, alimentos con carbohidratos de absorción lenta, que ayuda a estos pacientes para mejorar su control de la glucosa sanguínea (41).…”