Understanding the difference between the Glycemic Index and the Glycemic Load is very important if blood sugar is an issue for you. Diabetes is at epidemic proportions and keeping an eye on your sugar whether you are diabetic or not can be life saving.
Sometimes the terminology used can be confusing. A lot of people can easily confuse the Glycemic Index and the Glycemic Load. The Glycemic Index is a much more familiar term to most people because it has traditionally been the way foods have been categorized based on their sugar level.
The newer Glycemic Load is a bit more difficult to understand. While both of these formulas are intended to measure the potential sugar values in food they measure different types of values.
Glycemic Index
Lets look at the easier one first. The Glycemic Index uses a scale of 1-100 to rank the sugars in foods. The ranking are from 1-55 which is considered low and good for you foods. Foods that are ranked from 56-69 are considered medium foods that should only be eaten in moderation. The foods that rank from 70 to 100 are considered foods that you should avoid.
Foods that are considered high on the list of the Glycemic Index have been associated with a host of disease from acne to Alzheimers disease and of course diabetic or pre diabetic people should always avoid those foods that fall into this range. Things like soda and white bread tip the scales at the top of the Glycemic Index of foods.
Glycemic Load
The new kid on the block in diet management is the Glycemic Load. The Glycemic Load uses the Glycemic Index as the base of the formula that is used to calculate how much sugar is in each serving. You use the Glycemic Index rating of a food and multiply it by number of carbohydrates in a serving than divide it by 100.
The Glycemicc Load offers you a way to calculate how much a certain food will raise your blood sugars. The ideal level of food should below 120. While initially it can be confusing it is a good system to use that can be added to any diet to help control the amount of sugars that are taken in.
Paying attention to your sugar levels can help you to control your weight and help you to feel healthier and all around better!
