The Concept of Glycemic Index and Glycemic Load

An important recent breakthrough in nutrition has been the concept of the glycemic index. It was originally thought that simple carbohydrates enter the bloodstream rapidly while complex carbohydrates enter slowly. This is not the case. Some complex carbohydrates for example potatoes enter the blood stream faster than table sugar. The glycemic index measures the entry rate of various carbohydrates into the blood stream. The faster the rate of entry, the greater the effect on insulin secretion.

The glycemic load is the actual amount of an insulin-stimulating carbohydrate consumed multiplied by the glycemic index for that carbohydrate thus a small volume of high-glycemic carbohydrates has the same impact as a large volume of low-glycemic carbohydrates.

Ultimately a healthy zone diet is obtained through insulin moderation, which is best achieved by consuming primarily low-density carbohydrates that also have a low glycemic index.

I have included some examples of the glycemic index and glycemic load of certain common foods in the tables that follow.