How Is The Glycemic Index Abused?

At its inception, the glycemic index was a tool designed to help those people diagnosed with diabetes make healthier choices regarding the foods they eat and how those foods relate to blood sugar levels. Because the glycemic index is meant to control blood sugar for diabetics, many people believe it can also be a useful tool in weight loss and dieting.

However, the glycemic index is not so cut and dry, and there are many factors that can alter the results. Many people do not understand all of the factors involved with using the glycemic index and they end up abusing the system. If you are considering using the glycemic index in a diet regimen, take steps to educate yourself on its properties and usage. 

What Is The Glycemic Index? 

The glycemic index is a tool that ranks foods according to how much they raise an individual’s blood sugar levels after being eaten.  Each food is ranked from low to high according to how high that particular food elevates the blood sugar levels. The glycemic index more specifically targets carbohydrates as they relate to the rise of blood sugar. All carbohydrates will raise your blood sugar, however, the type of food you choose will either do this quickly or slowly over time. 

How Is Glycemic Index Calculated?

The glycemic index rankings are numerical from 1 to 100. A food that scores 100 is an indication that it is made up of mainly sugar or pure glucose. Foods with a 70 or higher are considered high. Foods ranging between 56 and 69 are moderate and foods that score below 55 are considered low. Foods that are considered low on the glycemic index will take longer to raise blood sugar, whereas foods with a high index will do so more quickly, causing a spike in blood sugar levels. 

How Can Glycemic Index Be Helpful? 

The glycemic index can be especially helpful to diabetics because maintaining a diet that consists mainly of foods that are of a low glycemic index will help to control blood sugar spikes and help manage diabetes. Additionally, the glycemic index can be helpful to individuals who are trying to achieve weight loss.  Sticking with foods that are of a low glycemic index will help the dieter to remain fuller for longer because those foods take a longer time to be absorbed by the body. Many of the foods of a low glycemic index are healthier, less processed and contain higher amounts of fiber, which promotes weight loss and helps to control blood sugar. 

How Does Glycemic Index Promote Weight Loss? 

Utilizing the glycemic index and choosing foods that have a low glycemic score promotes weight loss because those low scoring foods tend to be healthier and help the dieter to feel fuller for longer. However, the glycemic index should be utilized in conjunction with a healthy diet that is high in protein. A study performed in 2010 and published in the New England Journal of Medicine states that overweight adults in 8 countries were able to maintain a healthy weight with the use of the glycemic index and a high protein diet. Contrary to this study, in 2010 the Dietary Guidelines for Americans says that there is no evidence that the glycemic index leads to greater weight loss or maintenance. 

Who Can Benefit From Using the Glycemic Index? 

Many people can benefit from using the glycemic index provided that they are using it properly. Many diabetics use the index to prevent spikes in blood sugar. Additionally, many people find the glycemic index helpful in promoting weight loss and managing a healthy weight. The glycemic index may also be helpful in warding off certain diseases, like heart disease, diabetes and some cancers according to a report done in 2008 by the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 

The Abuse Of The Glycemic Index

It Can Be Misleading For Different Foods 

The glycemic index can be misleading for certain foods because while it gives us a score for glucose levels, it does not provide a gauge of how many carbs are in a serving of each food. For example, carrots are considered to have a high glycemic index, but one serving of carrots is equal to one whole carrot, which has just 4 grams of carbs.

One serving of ice cream is equal to one cup and contains 50 grams of carbs. So comparing items that are not similar is misleading because you would need to eat nearly 4 cups of carrots to equal the same amount of carbs that are in one cup of ice cream. 

Portion Size Matters 

If you do not control portion sizes, you will not lose weight no matter what the glycemic index rating of the food is. Typically, no food is eaten completely in isolation, especially when it is part of a complete meal. When we eat different foods together, this changes the glycemic index. When calculating carbs and portion size together it is called the glycemic load. 

Not All Healthy Foods Have a Low Index 

Scores can be misleading. Many foods that you would consider healthy actually have a high glycemic index, such as carrots, walnuts, strawberries and apples. However, these foods are a better option than some of the foods that have a lower glycemic index. The trick is to eat a breakfast that is high in fiber and have a snack such as one of these high index foods later in the day. This is an effective way to still consume healthy foods that have a higher index in order to balance out the total effects of the glycemic index. 

Unhealthy Foods Can Have a Low Index 

Strangely enough, heavy cream has a low glycemic index, but you probably wouldn’t consider that a healthy food choice and it’s doubtful that you would choose a cup of heavy cream over an apple or some carrots.  Diet soda also has a low index of zero, but obviously what is essentially a chemically altered, artificially sweetened drink is not a very healthy food choice. 

All Foods With a Low Glycemic Index Are Not Created Equal 

It is important not to use the glycemic index as an overall measure of the nutritional value of foods. Just because 2 items have the same glycemic index rating, it does not mean that they are nutritionally equal. For example, pure olive oil and trans-fat oil have the same glycemic index; however, olive oil is clearly the healthier choice. The same is true for water and diet soda; clearly it is more nutritionally sound to choose the water. 

Different Low Glycemic Diets Can Have Different Results 

Just because you’ve chosen to follow a low glycemic diet does not mean that it will successfully help you to lose weight or lower blood sugar. There is so much variation in the index and how people react to the foods in conjunction with other foods they are eating, that is it best to take the glycemic index into consideration and not rely on it whole heartedly. It is best to control portion sizes, choose healthy carbs and avoid processed foods. 

The glycemic index, while good in theory, is much more complicated than it seems. If you consult the glycemic index, be aware that you need to also make healthy choices as some healthy foods have a high index and vice versa. To manage diabetes and weight loss it is best to use an approach that includes a look at the glycemic load, portion size and healthy versus unhealthy carbs. If you have difficulty controlling blood sugar levels or maintaining a healthy weight consult your doctor.