You know that the glycemic index must be accompanied by other tools to present a diet plan that makes sense. The variations in numbers from one list to another are caused by variables that are attributable to several factors, and some of these factors are represented by those other tools.
One person’s metabolism is different from another’s, causing food to process somewhat differently from person to person. This combined with the cooking procedures and even the way food is grown can make variations on the point rating of a food on the index. When rating a food, several people are tested and the results are averaged together for the result.
Not every food is tested by the same people in one facility, and this can give way to some differences in the output of the test scores. Some testing companies may have varying techniques and standards that lead to higher or lower point totals.
Tests are run using a very small amount of each food, 50 grams. This is much less than an average person would consume at a meal, and it opens the contention from some researchers that both the high-carbohydrate and low-carbohydrate tests might be misstated. They believe the highs might even be higher and the lows even lower.
To understand fully what a person gets from their food, the glycemic load index has to be thrown into the mix. The load adds the amounts of food consumed and carbohydrates they contain. This added to the preparation of the food itself gives a clearer picture of consumption and results within the body.
The standard calculation to get the glycemic load starts with the previously acquired glycemic index number divided by 100. To this, the grams of carbohydrates in the serving size are multiplied resulting in the final number.
The ratings of low, medium, and high are viewed differently on the glycemic load index. Anything over twenty is high and only those ten and under are considered low.
Watermelon is a favorite example to show how both parts of the calculation are important. You may know that watermelon is a seventy-two on the glycemic index and this is relatively high. Taking a normal serving size of one hundred and twenty grams, there are only six grams of carbohydrates available.
The math goes like this:.72 x 6 = 4.32. Obviously, this number is in the low range on the glycemic load index, making it a good choice for food. If we only looked at it as having a high glycemic index number, we would think otherwise.
It’s not hard to incorporate all food groups into a glycemic index diet, as long as we view them from a glycemic load index. Although the glycemic index is not completely accurate viewed alone, it still provides a good rule of thumb tool to guide us on keeping our insulin levels manageable. Just remember when using the chart, consider both components for making the best food choices.
Jared Torrien is a health, nutrition, and weight loss enthusiast. For more great information on the Glycemic Load Index
make sure to visit http://www.GlycemicIndexForHealth.com
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