The glycemic index (GI) of food is used to measure the effect of carbohydrates in food on blood glucose concentration. This concept was put forward by Dr. David J. Jenkins and his colleagues when they were studying what kind of food is best for diabetics at the University of Toronto.
Foods with high GI have fast digestion, high absorption rate and fast glucose release after entering the gastrointestinal tract, and the peak value of glucose is high after entering the blood, that is, blood sugar rises;
Low GI food stays in gastrointestinal tract for a long time, with low absorption rate and slow glucose release. After glucose enters the blood, the peak value is low and the decline rate is slow. Simply put, blood sugar is relatively low.
Therefore, using the glycemic index of food to arrange diet reasonably is of great benefit to the regulation of human blood sugar. Generally speaking, as long as half of the food is changed from high glycemic index to low glycemic index, the effect of significantly improving blood sugar can be achieved.
When the glycemic index is lower than 55, the food can be considered as a low glycemic index food.
When the glycemic index is between 55 and 70, the food is medium GI food;
When the glycemic index is above 70, the food is a high GI food.