What is the glycemic index of food?

Have you ever heard of the term glycemic index (GI) in food? Simply put, the glycemic index is a measure of how quickly food is converted to sugar in your blood.

Therefore, it is not enough to avoid sugary foods if you want to control blood sugar levels, especially for people with diabetes. The thing to do is choose foods with a low glycemic index value.

Then how do you ensure that your food has a low GI so that your blood sugar levels don't spike suddenly? This is a complete explanation that needs to be paid close attention to so that you don't choose the wrong food or way of processing it.

Know the glycemic index of food

The glycemic index or GI is the rate at which food is processed into blood sugar by the body. The greater the value, the faster your blood sugar will rise as a result of these foods.

So, it does not mean that foods with a high glycemic index mean high sugar content. It could be that the sugar levels of these foods are classified as safe, but when consumed, the sugar is absorbed very quickly by the body at once and results in a spike in sugar levels.

High GI foods should be avoided by people with diabetes. Meanwhile, for foods with a moderate glycemic index, you can still eat them, but only occasionally and must be within reasonable limits. If the GI value is low, these foods can be consumed.

How does the glycemic index of food go up?

Basically, every food has its own IG value. For example, from the carbohydrate content. However, several other factors can change the GI of your food even higher. What are the factors? Check it out below.

1. Fruit that has been peeled and left long enough

Fruit that has been peeled has a higher GI value than fruit that is still intact with the skin. An example is a banana. Before peeling, bananas are among the foods that have a low glycemic index. However, after being peeled and allowed to stand for a long time, the GI value of this fruit will increase until it reaches 51 (including foods with moderate GI values).

This is because the banana has undergone an oxidation process which causes the fruit to have brown spots. This process then causes the IG value to increase. Therefore, don't let the peeled fruit be left too long and not eaten.

2. How to prepare food

Cooked foods usually have a higher glycemic index content. Especially if the cooking process is carried out to make the ingredients very crushed and soft. So, the body more easily absorbs the carbohydrates in these foods because they have been processed through cooking.

For example, fruit that has been processed into a glass of juice will have a higher glycemic index level than the original fruit. Another example, potatoes that have been cooked have a higher GI value. Therefore, if you are cooking potatoes, let them cool before consuming them because when they are still hot after cooking, the tilapia will still be high.

3. Water soluble fiber content

Most foods that have a GI value are foods that contain carbohydrates. Therefore, the type of carbohydrates present in these foods affects their GI value. The more water soluble fiber in it, the lower the GI value of the food.

Conversely, if your food is full of simple carbohydrates, such as glucose or sucrose, then the food has a high GI value.

4. Other nutrients in food

Not only the type of carbohydrates that affect the GI value of a food. Fat and protein levels can also affect the glycemic index value. Foods that contain protein and fat that are consumed together will reduce the levels of the glycemic index in your diet.

Adding an acidic ingredient to a food, such as orange juice or vinegar, can lower the glycemic index. This can be a surefire trick for those of you who want to avoid foods with high GI.