JoshLarge
02-19-2010, 12:11 PM
As many may know the index is based on 50g of carbohydrate.
It shows how different foods containing carbohydrate effect (raise) blood glucose concentration in a 2 hour time period.
These foods are then assigned a GI number by which is compared to glucose (dextrose) which has the number 100. As we all know or should know, the higher the GI number the easier the food breaks down, causing a sometimes undesirable insulin spike and fat gains.
Here is a list of the GI values that i have come across:
Drinks
Isotonic energy drinks - ~ 90
Carbonated soft drinks (not diet versions) - 68
Orange juice - 46
Apple juice (unsweetened) - 37
Breads
Plain bagel - 72
White bread - 70
Whole wheat bread - 69
Fruits
Raisins - 64
Watermelon - 72
Bananas (overripe) - 52 Big difference between the two isn't there!
Bananas (underripe) - 30
Apple - 36
Dried apricots - 31
Pear - 36
Grapefruit - 25
Did you get a good look at the values for the fruits? They're not the devil in disguise that most are to believe, not to mention the anti-oxidant properties they posess!
Grains
Pasta - 41
White rice - 56
Brown rice - 55
Popcorn - 55
Barley - 25
Vegetables
Baked potato - 85
Sweet potato - 54
Corn - 55
Peas - 48
Dairy
Whole milk - 27
Skimmed milk - 32
Lowfat natural yoghurt - 35
Although some of the values may not differ as much, for example wholewheat and regular bread, the benefit you get from the brown bread vitamin-wise far outweighs white.
During processing of the grain the germ is removed including the bran, which covers the grain. Removing this removes key nutrients such as protein, unsaturated-fats and several vitamins.
Also when grains are refined their starchy molecules of large glucose chains are broken down into smaller ones. This means more ends of the molecules are exposed to the enzymes within your mouth and body to be broken down. Try chewing some white bread for 30 seconds or so without swallowing it, it will begin to taste sweet, this is because the glucose is already being produced.
Hope this little 'article' helped clear a few things up about GI and such, i know it was quite confusing when i started.
Josh.:D
It shows how different foods containing carbohydrate effect (raise) blood glucose concentration in a 2 hour time period.
These foods are then assigned a GI number by which is compared to glucose (dextrose) which has the number 100. As we all know or should know, the higher the GI number the easier the food breaks down, causing a sometimes undesirable insulin spike and fat gains.
Here is a list of the GI values that i have come across:
Drinks
Isotonic energy drinks - ~ 90
Carbonated soft drinks (not diet versions) - 68
Orange juice - 46
Apple juice (unsweetened) - 37
Breads
Plain bagel - 72
White bread - 70
Whole wheat bread - 69
Fruits
Raisins - 64
Watermelon - 72
Bananas (overripe) - 52 Big difference between the two isn't there!
Bananas (underripe) - 30
Apple - 36
Dried apricots - 31
Pear - 36
Grapefruit - 25
Did you get a good look at the values for the fruits? They're not the devil in disguise that most are to believe, not to mention the anti-oxidant properties they posess!
Grains
Pasta - 41
White rice - 56
Brown rice - 55
Popcorn - 55
Barley - 25
Vegetables
Baked potato - 85
Sweet potato - 54
Corn - 55
Peas - 48
Dairy
Whole milk - 27
Skimmed milk - 32
Lowfat natural yoghurt - 35
Although some of the values may not differ as much, for example wholewheat and regular bread, the benefit you get from the brown bread vitamin-wise far outweighs white.
During processing of the grain the germ is removed including the bran, which covers the grain. Removing this removes key nutrients such as protein, unsaturated-fats and several vitamins.
Also when grains are refined their starchy molecules of large glucose chains are broken down into smaller ones. This means more ends of the molecules are exposed to the enzymes within your mouth and body to be broken down. Try chewing some white bread for 30 seconds or so without swallowing it, it will begin to taste sweet, this is because the glucose is already being produced.
Hope this little 'article' helped clear a few things up about GI and such, i know it was quite confusing when i started.
Josh.:D