Thought I could include this in here too
What is the Glycemic Index?
The glycemic index is a ranking of carbohydrates based on their immediate effect on blood glucose (blood sugar) levels. It compares foods gram for gram of carbohydrate. Carbohydrates that breakdown quickly during digestion have the highest glycemic indexes. The blood glucose response is fast and high. Carbohydrates that break down slowly, releasing glucose gradually into the blood stream, have low glycemic indexes.
What is Glycemic Load?
Glycemic load builds on the GI to provide a measure of total glycemic response to a food or meal
Glycemic load = GI (%) x grams of carbohydrate per serving
One unit of GL ~ glycemic effect of 1 gram glucose
You can sum the GL of all the foods in a meal, for the whole day or even longer
A typical diet has ~ 100 GL units per day (range 60 - 180)
The GI database gives both GI & GL values |