GL is based on the idea that a high GI food consumed in small quantities would give the same effect on blood glucose levels as larger quantities of a low GI food. The GL calculation is: GI x the amount of carbohydrates in grams in a serving of food ÷ Using a pasta example:.

Here is another example, where both foods contain the same amount of carbohydrate but their GIs are different:. Both the small baked potato and the apple have the same amount of carbohydrate 15g.

However, because their GIs differ the apple is low while the baked potato is high , their GLs also differ, which means the baked potato will cause the blood glucose level of the person eating it to rise more quickly than the apple.

Eating low GI foods 2 hours before endurance events, such as long-distance running, may improve exercise capacity. Moderate to high GI foods may be most beneficial during the first 24 hours of recovery after an event to rapidly replenish muscle fuel stores glycogen. The GI can be considered when choosing foods and drinks consistent with the Australian Guide to Healthy Eating External Link , but there are limitations.

For example, the GI of some everyday foods such as fruits, vegetables and cereals can be higher than foods to be eaten occasionally discretionary like biscuits and cakes.

This does not mean we should replace fruit, vegetables and cereals with discretionary choices, because the first are rich in important nutrients and antioxidants and the discretionary foods are not. GI can be a useful concept in making good food substitution choices, such as having oats instead of cornflakes, or eating grainy bread instead of white bread.

Usually, choosing the wholegrain or higher fibre option will also mean you are choosing the lower GI option. There is room in a healthy diet for moderate to high GI foods, and many of these foods can provide important sources of nutrients.

Remember, by combining a low GI food with a high GI food, you will get an intermediate GI for that meal. The best carbohydrate food to eat varies depending on the person and situation. For example, people with type 2 diabetes or impaired glucose tolerance have become resistant to the action of insulin or cannot produce insulin rapidly enough to match the release of glucose into the blood after eating carbohydrate-containing foods.

This means their blood glucose levels may rise above the level considered optimal. Now consider 2 common breakfast foods — cornflakes and porridge made from wholegrain oats. The rate at which porridge and cornflakes are broken down to glucose is different. Porridge is digested to simple sugars much more slowly than cornflakes, so the body has a chance to respond with production of insulin, and the rise in blood glucose levels is less.

For this reason, porridge is a better choice of breakfast cereal than cornflakes for people with type 2 diabetes. It will also provide more sustained energy for people without diabetes. On the other hand, high GI foods can be beneficial at replenishing glycogen in the muscles after strenuous exercise.

For example, eating 5 jellybeans will help to raise blood glucose levels quickly. This page has been produced in consultation with and approved by:. Learn all about alcohol - includes standard drink size, health risks and effects, how to keep track of your drinking, binge drinking, how long it takes to leave the body, tips to lower intake.

A common misconception is that anorexia nervosa only affects young women, but it affects all genders of all ages. Antioxidants scavenge free radicals from the body's cells, and prevent or reduce the damage caused by oxidation.

No special diet or 'miracle food' can cure arthritis, but some conditions may be helped by avoiding or including certain foods. It is important to identify any foods or food chemicals that may trigger your asthma, but this must be done under strict medical supervision.

Content on this website is provided for information purposes only. Information about a therapy, service, product or treatment does not in any way endorse or support such therapy, service, product or treatment and is not intended to replace advice from your doctor or other registered health professional.

The information and materials contained on this website are not intended to constitute a comprehensive guide concerning all aspects of the therapy, product or treatment described on the website. Adding protein or fat to a high GI food decreases the GI of that food.

The higher the food is in soluble fiber, the lower the GI. Did you find this article useful? Please tell us why? Early childhood development resources for early childhood professionals. Check out the Dietetics B. Learn More. More About Diabetes How Chronic Condition Sufferers Can Maintain Their Quality of Life Published on May 25, Y Lions Centennial Published on March 31, Lions Defense Against Diabetes Published on March 31, Lions Partner to Fight Diabetes Published on March 31, Food Organization to Make Healthy Choices with Nola Auernhamer Published on September 14, MVP Presents An Ounce of Prevention: Our Vaccine Stories Published on August 4, MVP Presents an Ounce of Prevention: An Interview with Arun Tandon Published on August 23, X Close.

Search for. All Content. Share Tweet Save Share Print Email. The GI value for cantaloupe is 65 to The glycemic index doesn't consider how much of a food you are likely to eat during a meal.

For example, you likely wouldn't eat a whole medium-sized cantaloupe at once. To focus on this problem, researchers developed the idea of glycemic load GL. This number shows the effect on blood sugar levels when you eat a common portion of the food.

For example, you might eat one-third of a medium-sized cantaloupe during one meal. The GL value for that much cantaloupe is around 11 or lower. Sydney University's table of GI values also includes GL values.

The GL values are divided into:. A GI value tells you nothing about other nutritional information. For example, cantaloupe has a medium to high GI score and a medium GL score. But it is a good source of vitamin C, beta carotene and other important nutrients. Whole milk has a low GI value and a low GL value.

But it's high in fats and calories. So it may not a good choice for losing or controlling weight. The published GI database is not a complete list of foods. Instead, it's a list of foods that have been studied.

Many nutritious foods with low GI values may not be in the database. The list also includes highly processed foods which may be less nutritious than unprocessed foods. And some foods with low GI values may not be good sources of nutrients.

The GI value of any food item depends on many factors. It matters how the food is prepared and how it is processed. Also, there can be a range in GI values for the same foods. So the values may not be reliable for all food choices.

If you follow a low-GI diet, your foods with carbs are mostly limited to choices with low values. You usually will avoid foods with high values.

Examples of foods with low, middle and high GI values are:. Commercial low-GI diets may refer to foods as having slow carbs or fast carbs. This is because foods with a low GI value are digested and absorbed over a longer time.

Foods with high values are absorbed over a shorter time. Studies of low-GI diets have shown varied results. In general, they have shown a low-GI diet may be helpful for:. Researchers have noted the benefit of the diet may be linked to the nutrient-rich foods and high-fiber foods in the studies.

The overall nutritional quality of the food may be more important than the GI value of each food item. Following a low-GI diet may help you lose weight or keep a healthy weight.

It may help you manage a diabetes plan. It may lower your risk of diabetes and heart and blood vessel diseases. The glycemic index also could be one tool, rather than the main tool, to help you make healthier food choices.

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends a focus on healthy dietary patterns and nutrient-rich foods. A healthy dietary pattern means making consistently healthy choices over time.

Foods that fit in that pattern vary. They include a variety of fruits and vegetables that provide vitamins, minerals and fiber. A healthy dietary pattern also includes whole-grain foods that are high in fiber and other nutrients.

Beans, legumes, fish, low-fat dairy and lean meats are also good choices. There is a problem with information submitted for this request. Sign up for free and stay up to date on research advancements, health tips, current health topics, and expertise on managing health.

Click here for an email preview. Error Email field is required. Error Include a valid email address. To provide you with the most relevant and helpful information, and understand which information is beneficial, we may combine your email and website usage information with other information we have about you.

If you are a Mayo Clinic patient, this could include protected health information. If we combine this information with your protected health information, we will treat all of that information as protected health information and will only use or disclose that information as set forth in our notice of privacy practices.

You may opt-out of email communications at any time by clicking on the unsubscribe link in the e-mail. You'll soon start receiving the latest Mayo Clinic health information you requested in your inbox. Mayo Clinic does not endorse companies or products. Advertising revenue supports our not-for-profit mission.

GI can be a useful concept in making good food substitution choices, such as having oats instead of cornflakes, or eating grainy bread instead of white bread. Usually, choosing the wholegrain or higher fibre option will also mean you are choosing the lower GI option.

There is room in a healthy diet for moderate to high GI foods, and many of these foods can provide important sources of nutrients. Remember, by combining a low GI food with a high GI food, you will get an intermediate GI for that meal. The best carbohydrate food to eat varies depending on the person and situation.

For example, people with type 2 diabetes or impaired glucose tolerance have become resistant to the action of insulin or cannot produce insulin rapidly enough to match the release of glucose into the blood after eating carbohydrate-containing foods.

This means their blood glucose levels may rise above the level considered optimal. Now consider 2 common breakfast foods — cornflakes and porridge made from wholegrain oats. The rate at which porridge and cornflakes are broken down to glucose is different. Porridge is digested to simple sugars much more slowly than cornflakes, so the body has a chance to respond with production of insulin, and the rise in blood glucose levels is less.

For this reason, porridge is a better choice of breakfast cereal than cornflakes for people with type 2 diabetes. It will also provide more sustained energy for people without diabetes.

On the other hand, high GI foods can be beneficial at replenishing glycogen in the muscles after strenuous exercise. For example, eating 5 jellybeans will help to raise blood glucose levels quickly. This page has been produced in consultation with and approved by:. Learn all about alcohol - includes standard drink size, health risks and effects, how to keep track of your drinking, binge drinking, how long it takes to leave the body, tips to lower intake.

A common misconception is that anorexia nervosa only affects young women, but it affects all genders of all ages. Antioxidants scavenge free radicals from the body's cells, and prevent or reduce the damage caused by oxidation.

No special diet or 'miracle food' can cure arthritis, but some conditions may be helped by avoiding or including certain foods. It is important to identify any foods or food chemicals that may trigger your asthma, but this must be done under strict medical supervision.

Content on this website is provided for information purposes only. Information about a therapy, service, product or treatment does not in any way endorse or support such therapy, service, product or treatment and is not intended to replace advice from your doctor or other registered health professional.

The information and materials contained on this website are not intended to constitute a comprehensive guide concerning all aspects of the therapy, product or treatment described on the website.

All users are urged to always seek advice from a registered health care professional for diagnosis and answers to their medical questions and to ascertain whether the particular therapy, service, product or treatment described on the website is suitable in their circumstances.

The State of Victoria and the Department of Health shall not bear any liability for reliance by any user on the materials contained on this website. Skip to main content. Healthy eating. Home Healthy eating. Carbohydrates and the glycaemic index. Actions for this page Listen Print.

Summary Read the full fact sheet. On this page. About the glycaemic index GI Digesting and absorbing carbohydrates The glycaemic index GI Glycaemic load GL GI and exercise Using the GI as a guide to healthy eating Choosing between high and low GI foods Where to get help.

About the glycaemic index GI Foods and drinks provide our body with energy in the form of carbohydrates, fat , protein and alcohol.

Digesting and absorbing carbohydrates The digestive system breaks down carbohydrates in foods and drinks into simple sugars, mainly glucose. The glycaemic index GI The glycaemic index GI is a way of ranking carbohydrate-containing foods based on how slowly or quickly they are digested and increase blood glucose levels over a period of time — usually 2 hours.

These ranges, along with some example foods, include: low GI less than 55 — examples include soy products, beans, fruit, milk, pasta, grainy bread, porridge oats and lentils medium GI 55 to 70 — examples include orange juice, honey, basmati rice and wholemeal bread high GI greater than 70 — examples include potatoes, white bread and short-grain rice.

Glycaemic load GL The amount of the carbohydrate-containing food you eat affects your blood glucose levels. Calculating glycaemic load GL The GL calculation is: GI x the amount of carbohydrates in grams in a serving of food ÷ GI and exercise Eating low GI foods 2 hours before endurance events, such as long-distance running, may improve exercise capacity.

Using the GI as a guide to healthy eating The GI can be considered when choosing foods and drinks consistent with the Australian Guide to Healthy Eating External Link , but there are limitations. Choosing between high and low GI foods The best carbohydrate food to eat varies depending on the person and situation.

Where to get help Your GP doctor Dietitians Australia External Link Tel. Glycemic Index External Link , The University of Sydney.

Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code — Standard 1. Sacks FM, Carey VJ, Anderson CAM, et al. Burdon CA, Spronk I, Cheng HL, et al. Give feedback about this page. Was this page helpful? Yes No. View all healthy eating. Related information. The glycemic index GI is a value used to measure how much specific foods increase blood sugar levels.

The lower the GI of a specific food, the less it may affect your blood sugar levels 1. Foods high in refined carbs and sugar are digested more quickly and often have a high GI, while foods high in protein, fat, or fiber typically have a low GI.

Foods that contain no carbs are not assigned a GI and include meat, fish, poultry, nuts, seeds, herbs, spices, and oils. Other factors that affect the GI of a food include the ripeness, cooking method, type of sugar it contains, and amount of processing it has undergone 2.

The glycemic index is used to measure how much a specific food increases your blood sugar levels. The higher the GI, the greater the effect on blood sugar levels. Foods without a GI value or with a very low GI can also be enjoyed as part of a balanced low glycemic diet.

They include:. Following a low glycemic diet involves swapping out foods that have a high GI with low GI alternatives. A low glycemic diet may help manage blood sugar levels, reduce your cholesterol, and boost short-term weight loss.

Here are the GI values for a few ingredients 9 , 10 :. Knowing where your favorite foods fall on the glycemic index can make it much easier to follow a low glycemic diet. For example, fried foods tend to contain a high amount of fat, which can slow the absorption of sugar in the bloodstream and decrease the GI 11 , Meanwhile, roasting and baking can break down resistant starch — a type of starch that resists digestion and is commonly found in foods like legumes, potatoes, and oats — thus increasing the GI 11 , Conversely, boiling is thought to help retain more of the resistant starch and lead to a lower GI, compared with other cooking methods The longer you cook foods like pasta or rice, the greater the digestibility of their starch content, and thus the higher their GI.

In addition to the cooking method used, the degree of ripeness may also affect the GI of some fruits, including bananas. This is because the amount of resistant starch decreases during the ripening process, leading to a higher GI 2. For example, bananas that are fully ripened have a GI of 51, whereas under-ripe bananas have a GI of just 30 The degree of ripeness, as well as the way that certain foods are cooked and prepared, can affect the GI of the final product.

The glycemic index, or GI, is a measure used to determine how much a food can affect your blood sugar levels. Several factors affect the glycemic index of a food, including the nutrient composition, ripeness, cooking method, and amount of processing it has undergone.

Following a low glycemic diet may offer several health benefits, as it could help balance your blood sugar levels, reduce liver fat, and increase short-term weight loss.

Our experts continually monitor the health and wellness space, and we update our articles when new information becomes available. VIEW ALL HISTORY. The glycemic index can help people with diabetes decide which fruits and vegetables to include in their diet.

This article helps determine the glycemic…. The low glycemic diet may aid weight loss and reduce blood sugar levels, but it has drawbacks too. Here's everything you need to know.